


Keep It Simple

by SyllabicL



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Compersion, Drinking, Fluff and Angst, HyoKyo, I still dont know how I'm ending this but oh well, I'm crying I had to make the tag for the ship (, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Non-Explicit Sex, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, RIP, RyuHyoKyo, Sex, Yes there's more sex than before but it's still not graphic, how do i fucking tag, i'll add tags as the story goes, illegal shit, it's Hyoga what do you expect, ukyo gets ghosted, you've gotta be kidding me there's no tag for compersion ?!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-16 00:53:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 33,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29198670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SyllabicL/pseuds/SyllabicL
Summary: Maybe it was Ukyo’s turn.“You wanna come back to mine?” He asks, with more confidence than he was prepared for. “I swear I have better quality liquor than this place.”A slow smile cracked on Hyoga’s face. Ukyo felt that in his gut.Damn Ryusui would be proud. He’d have to tell him later.
Relationships: Hyouga/Saionji Ukyou, Nanami Ryuusui/Hyouga/Saionji Ukyou, Nanami Ryuusui/Saionji Ukyou
Comments: 16
Kudos: 29





	1. More confidence than he was prepared for

**Author's Note:**

> Hello. I was debating on posting this until S2 E4 dropped and honestly Hyokyo nation needs to eat. Idk how this ends yet but I've got a bit planned. I'll update tags as I go, but I dont want to spoil anything, if anyone spots any important triggers or tags I need to add please drop me a comment. Chapter lengths aren't consistent either oh well. All characters are 20+ as they are from Z=183.
> 
> Also I read this through maybe twice a week and a half ago. Idk if there are typos. There probably are. 
> 
> Title from Tove Lo - Keep It Simple
> 
> Check it out if you want it's a good song. 
> 
> Trigger warnings for this chapter: drinking , clubs , one night stands , Tsukasa struggling

The barstool was uncomfortable, the music was hit or miss, and the house liquor was too expensive for what it was. Regardless, Ukyo was glad he came out. He was early, because being on leave meant he was the only one without regular commitments at the moment. Everyone else was still getting ready after their shifts at work, no doubt.

Tsukasa had invited him out with some other friends he didn’t know. That happened on active duty. Friend groups shifted and changed. People came and went. At least this time Senku would be there, too — the constant staple to their friend group.

Apparently, tonight was the night Tsukasa was going to confess… Ukyo questioned the point of doing it at a bar. Tsukasa just swore the more casual it was the more comfortable Senku would feel. Ukyo suspected the guy just wanted a few shots before he went through with it.

Damn speaking of a few shots, he was already feeling his drink after nothing for months. He would have to slow down, maybe stop drinking early.

For now though, fuck it. He tossed back his drink and ordered another, but up a shelf this time.

A few minutes later Tsukasa finally showed, tailed by two others Ukyo hadn’t met yet. A woman with bright pink hair — had Ukyo seen her before? — tied up in a fountain clip, she made it look good, too. Her body con dress left little to the imagination and Ukyo could practically hear the praises Ryusui would sing. The man next to her … had to be her boyfriend. He was pretty. Maybe prettier than Tsukasa which he didn’t think was easy. And they walked close. Ukyo made sure to peel his eyes away and wave at his friend.

“Senku here yet?” Tsukasa asks, his eyes jumping around the room. Ukyo was already tired.

“Good to see you, too,” he replied. Tsukasa had the decency to look embarrassed. “No he’s not here yet.”

“Ah, cool,” Tsukasa nods, too much. He’s nervous. 

“You look good, Tsukasa!” Ukyo compliments him, patting him heavy on the arm even though he can imagine the champion fighter would barely feel it. “Who’re your friends?”

“Oh, right!”

Yeah, it’s gonna be a long night. 

“This is Hyoga, he’s my gym buddy.” Ukyo takes in the visible veins in his forearm. Isn’t sure if he should be surprised that Tsukasa managed to find someone who can keep up with him, or turned on. 

“And this is Homura.”

Right, girlfriend. 

“It’s nice to meet you!” Ukyo greets them. Hyoga doesn’t say anything back and Homura gives him a look. They start communicating like that and she eventually leaves in an annoyed huff. 

Well all right then.

Tsukasa pats Ukyo on the back. “First round’s on me boys.”

He does not mention that he’s on his third round and orders from the top shelf. Tsukasa doesn’t even flinch. It’s a contrast to the way Ryusui would have bought a whole top shelf bottle for the party, Ukyo should text him.

They grab a table in the back and Homura comes back, she slides in the booth next to Hyoga and pushes him to move in further. He moves. Doesn’t even flinch at her pushing him around. It’s kinda cute actually.

He sinks into the booth a little. It’s been months since he’s socialized like this and he can’t tell if he’s glad to be out or just drained. Maybe he’s getting too old for clubs and bars. 

Tsukasa is a friendly, pleasant middle man to keep the conversation going. He asks Ukyo how his last trip out was. Ukyo reminds him that it went well. He talks about the cramped living on a submarine, the shitty meals, but nothing sensitive. His friends all know he can’t get into specifics.

“Yeah, one of the guys—.”

“Oh, Senku’s here.” Tsukasa interrupts, waving their friend over. Ukyo exchanges an exasperated look with Hyoga who cracks a smile. It’s really pretty. Homura notices and elbows him in the side with a smirk.

Both of them turn to greet Senku… and the guy whose hand he’s holding.

Oh no.

Tsukasa, to his credit doesn’t freak out as Senku introduces his boyfriend, Gen. They’ve been dating for about a month now

“Sorry, we didn’t say anything sooner,” he says, he’s not a naturally touchy person and yet he’s got a hand on Gen’s thigh. Like it’s not even a conscious decision. It’s just a habit for him. 

They look good together, and for once Senku isn’t in a sweater vest and the top few buttons on his shirt are open, which has to be Gen’s doing. He himself wore a shimmering black button up that didn’t even have the top three buttons. Ukyo couldn’t tell what kind of fabric it was but it was pretty and slid over his skin nicely. 

Gen greeted them all politely and held conversation like it was a game that he played professionally. His sharp eyes took in everything, that much didn’t go over Ukyo’s head and he decidedly cut himself off for the night. No need to embarrass himself in front of someone who would remember so keenly.

Tsukasa, to his credit, handled it well. He kept up with the banter and conversation, and after a few minutes you couldn’t even tell his heart was just broken. 

Ukyo kept an eye on them, concerned, because Senku was flirting, the way he always did with Tsukasa. And it seemed he was the only one who didn’t notice he was doing it. Meeting Gen’s eyes, he offered a smile to the new addition to their friend group. The man returned it easily, side eying his boyfriend with a playful eye roll. Ukyo decided not to worry about them.

That is.. until Senku got tipsy and ran off somewhere with Gen. Tsukasa excused himself as well, giving Hyoga a look and they both went out back.

Which left Ukyo and Homura. Alone. In the booth. He wasn’t sure what to think about that.

“So…” Ukyo starts, playing with his empty glass. 

“So you’re Navy?” She asks, folding her hands under her chin and leaning into the conversation with confidence. 

“Yeah, just got off active duty. I’m home for a few months.”

Her round lips parted in an ‘o.’

“Really, do you plan to date while you’re here ?”

Ukyo tried not to react even if he was taken off guard. “I don’t know,” he shrugged. “I just got back yesterday. This is the first time I’ve talked to anyone new in months.”

“Mmm,” she nods, he tries to stay open, but there’s something about the way she’s considering him that has him wondering. “What’s your type?”

“My type?”

She shrugs. “I guess a better question would be, do you like men or women?”

Ukyo blinks. “Both?”

“What about Hyoga?”

Ukyo wonders when he walked into a 20 questions game. “You’re not about to ask for a three some are you?”

She looks at him and curls her upper lip. “I’m not with him.”

“Come again?” 

She laughs a little at that. His face must be priceless. “He’s not my boyfriend. We tried that once and broke up pretty early on. He’s just my best friend.”

“Oh,” Ukyo nods along, processing. He’s glad he stopped drinking earlier. “You two act close.”

Homura shrugs. “We get each other. But we couldn’t date. Anyways, so what about it, hm? He your type?”

He observes her, weighs just how serious she seems. He doesn’t sense any kind of game at work. She’s just being straight forward. “Are you his wingman or something?”

“It’s a mutual arrangement,” she smiles, nodding her head to the side where Hyoga is standing. Talking up a guy across the bar. The guy is glancing their way, looking Homura up and down where she sits perched on the edge of the booth.

Did they plan this ? It looks like they pulled this one off too well.

She glances over her shoulder, makes her eye contact with the man before turning back to Ukyo. “Think about it. You’re his type,” she winks, and slides out of the booth. 

As she saunters across the bar he watches her go. The way she brushes her arm on Hyoga before leaning closer to greet the new man. Hyoga taps her on the lower back and walks away. The silent communication is clear. Ukyo would be intimidated if he wasn’t so impressed.

And then suddenly Hyoga is walking over to him and he’s very aware that the man is single and interested and no one else is at their table.

Oh, fuck, Ukyo’s way out of practice with this. 

“Tsukasa’s not back yet?” Hyoga asks, he doesn’t glance around. Holding eye contact.

Or at least Ukyo thinks he is. It’s hard to tell with the way his eyes are narrowed. 

“No, how was he when you two went out back?”

Hyoga slouches back and shrugs. “We’ll sweat it out at the gym until his head’s clear. He can sort it out then.”

Ukyo agrees that wasn’t the worst idea. He would have to shoot him a text later to check in.

Not long after Tsukasa comes back, it’s not obvious but Ukyo can tell that sniff wasn’t so casual. “Homura leave already?” He asks.

“Yeah she got her piece for the night.”

“What about you? Wasn’t she supposed to find yours, isn’t that how you two work?” 

Hyoga smiles at him. It’s wide. Close lipped. A threat.

Ukyo pressed his lips together. Loudly tips his empty glass and rethinks his decision not to drink. But no. No he needed a clear head… for now at least. Until he knew exactly what the fuck was up.

Tsukasa looks confused for a moment but is easily distracted when Senku and Gen come stumbling over. It’s almost strange, Senku isn’t much of a dancer, but maybe Gen is so he looks happy. 

And drunk. Right the guy barely drinks, he’s probably more of a light weight than Ukyo. 

“I need to get him home,” Gen tells them, trying to keep his boyfriend up right. Senku’s hand is missing somewhere behind Gen and Ukyo can guess by the way he gets a hard pinch on his side. The intoxicated flush on Gen’s face is worrying though. 

“I’ll call a cab,” Ukyo says, pulling out his phone.

“Uhm, I’m sober, I can drive you both,” Tsukasa offers instead.

Gen looks at him hard but he clearly doesn’t look as sharp as he did at the beginning of the night. “You’re okay with that?”

Oh yeah, he knows. Ukyo holds his breath.

And Tsukasa realizes it, too.

He shrugs. “I want you both home safely.”

It was the right thing to say. Gen gives him a thankful half smile. He’s sympathetic. It’s all rather heartbreaking. 

But Ukyo relaxes, lets out that breath.

The three leave together, Tsukasa helping hold Senku up by a respectful finger through his belt loop while he leans on Gen. Yeah he’s got a handful of ass now that Ukyo can see. Gen must have given up.

Hyoga huffs a laugh. “Ahh, Tsukasa…”

Ukyo nods with a half smile. “That didn’t go the way I thought it would.”

“No… but he’ll figure it out.”

Hyoga turns to him. He’s got a sharp look aimed at Ukyo. It’s testing. Ukyo knows that if Homura went home already, she must have somehow given him the message that they had talked earlier. They had that weird non-verbal communication going on. Like weird mind-reading between the two of them. 

So maybe it was Ukyo’s turn. 

“You wanna come back to mine?” He asks, with more confidence than he was prepared for. “I swear I have better quality liquor than this place.”

A slow smile cracked on Hyoga’s face. Ukyo felt that in his gut. 

Damn Ryusui would be proud. He’d have to tell him later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Tri and Ali for letting me spam them about this.  
> I'll debate on linking my twitter but tbh y'all probably came here from there anyways.


	2. I can if you let me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is short. Oh well. 
> 
> Trigger warnings: drinking , mentions of solicitation

Hyoga rides a motorcycle. Of course he rides a motorcycle. This man? In all his sex on legs glory? Ukyo couldn’t imagine him calling a cab everytime. Or clinging to loops on public transport trying not to accidentally grope someone.

No, of course this man had this detail. And he even gave Ukyo his helmet while he rode on the back, arms tight around Hyoga’s waist as he kept his hat secure in his grip. 

Hyoga was all solid muscle and it was a lot to be aware of while zooming through the city on a bike. He’s been in plenty of high adrenaline situations when things have gone wrong on the sub — rare as those were, they did happen. Despite that the rush he got on their way to his apartment had him focusing a lot on not getting too into it.

By the time they arrived at Ukyo’s his legs were jelly and he felt in desperate need of that drink. Hyoga watches with a slight grin as Ukyo gets off the back of the bike and shakes his hair out. The hat hair was permanent, thanks to his uniform, and he tried to hide that fact as quickly as he could. 

“Have fun?” Hyoga asked, still sitting on his bike like it was where he was most comfortable. He lived there. 

He looks so good.

Ukyo straightens his bangs so they didn’t poke him in the eye. Flinching from your own hair wasn’t sexy. 

“That was… a lot after being underwater for a few months, yeah.”

Hyoga’s smile curves in a silent laugh. The kind where you could tell he never really let loose with it. He laughed through the change of his grin. His hair falling across his eyes.

This time it was subtle. Ukyo wonders if he’s nervous too. 

He finally takes the keys out and swings his leg back to get off the bike, giving Ukyo a good look at the way his legs flexed and yeah he needed that drink.

Hyoga took his helmet back, taking it up with him, and Ukyo fumbles with his keys for an embarrassing second at the door. On the inside, he was grateful that the house was kept clean for him while he was away. The fridge and cabinets stocked for his return. Cared for.

Even if the decor was barren, just the basics. He was never home long enough to think of what he’d do with the place. There was food and a stocked mini bar, though, and that’s what mattered just then. 

They slip off their shoes at the door and Ukyo tells him to make himself comfortable. The bar was stocked lightly. A few simple things. 

“How’s vodka soda sound?” 

“You said it’s top shelf here, so it sounds great.”

Ukyo smirks but doesn’t turn to face him, breaking the seal on the expensive bottle of liquor and pulling down two crystal tumblers. “Ice?” Hyoga confirms. He can hear him shuffling around on the couch. Probably taking in his surroundings while he waits. 

When the drinks are done Ukyo takes a quick breath and turns around.

Okay, so not taking in his surroundings. 

Hyoga is lounging against the arm of the couch, very much looking at Ukyo intensely. It’s a lot.

Hyoga is a lot.

Ukyo’s just glad he had six months of basic training to learn how to keep a straight face when it mattered. Maybe he shouldn’t look too military right now though. Fucking smile or something.

He passes Hyoga his drink and sits across the couch from him. He’s worried for a moment he’ll have to think of conversation and sips his drink a few seconds longer than necessary.

“So you were telling a story earlier.”

Taken off guard, Ukyo looks up. He makes a face, trying to recall. “Was I ?”

“Before Senku came and Tsukasa turned into a lap dog.”

“Oh! Right. It wasn’t that interesting.”

Hyoga shakes his head, rolling the ice in his glass. “Im interested.”

Is this guy real?

“Okay, where did I leave off? Uh, right so it’s a submarine. There’s usually about 60 men at a time. Stuck together for months.” 

“Sounds like a good place to start fights.”

“That, and question your sexuality.”

Hyoga raises a thin brown. His eye is just barely visible that way. “Is that how you figured out yours?”

“Me? No. I’ve known since high school. And usually I keep it quiet to not start problems when I’m in a giant metal soup can under the ocean.”

He takes a sip from his drink while Hyoga cracks one of those laughing smiles. This one is smaller. Just enough to show he’s still entertained.

“But I do have some friends I’ve been deployed with more than once. You get to sharing things about yourself. And I guess one guy let it slip that I like men.”

Both eyebrows raise this time.

“Yeah, so when a guy cornered me in the locker room, I thought it was gonna spell trouble. I wasn’t expecting him to offer me cash.”

Hyoga coughs on his drink. “You got propositioned?”

“Yep,” Ukyo manages a half grin. “Honestly I was mostly just relieved I didn’t have to fight the guy off. I turned him down and he gave me the money anyways to keep quiet.”

At that part, Hyoga tips his head back with his grin. “What a loser.” He finishes off his drink.

“You want another one?”

“No, that was enough, thank you.”

Ukyo can barely feel his buzz between the drinks he’s had tonight and thinks it very much isn’t enough for him. But he’ll deal. He sips the last dregs of melted ice and vodka. 

“What about you? What do you do?”

Placing his glass on the coffee table, he answers. “I train Kuda Yari style spear technique at my family’s academy.” 

Wide eyed, Ukyo sips the last of his drink and puts it down as well. He debates on another but decides against it. “That’s different. Now I see why you can keep up with Tsukasa.”

Hyoga shrugs one shoulder. “There’s not many practical uses these days, but my family likes to keep the art form alive. I’m not nearly as good at hand to hand as he is.”

“I’m trained in basics but I’m out of practice,” Ukyo shrugs knowing damn well it’s a lie. 

Hyoga doesn’t seem to believe him either. “Of course.”

“I’m not really a fighter anyways, I’ll leave that to you and Tsukasa.”

“I wouldn’t go that far. I’m just good with a spear.”

Ukyo sucks on his lip. Wonders if that was a euphemism. 

When the silence lapses on just a stroke too long, Hyoga asks. “You don’t do this often do you?”

Letting a sheepish smile break through, Ukyo scratches his neck. “I spend most of my time in a soup can remember?”

“Right, all those paying customers do the work for you.”

Ukyo scoffs. “Well, you said you're good with a spear, so maybe you should prove it.”

The smile on Hyoga’s face this time is almost sinister. He’s looking at Ukyo. Really looking at him with both eyes open.

Ukyo feels a little trapped and it goes right to his gut.

“I have no problem proving it to you, Ukyo.”

“Yeah? You’re into me then?”

Hyoga shifts just enough for Ukyo to see the way his body moves under his clothes. He swallows hard.

“I can be if you let me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I enjoyed writing this.


	3. I could go for breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun chapter. And all I'm posting for tonight.
> 
> Trigger warnings: drinking ; implied sex (a lot)

Sunlight streams through pale curtains in the morning. It’s Saturday. No alarms go off. It’s comfortable. Bright. Warm.

Too warm. Too bright. Hyoga has black out curtains and sleeps with the fan on high.

He cracks his eyes open warily. Taking in the plain, light decor of the bedroom he’s in.

Yeah, definitely not his place.

There’s a weight on his chest and he curses silently to himself. He didn’t go home last night. He fell asleep. Shit, he’s never done that before.

Slowly, trying not to disturb the other man, Hyoga looks down at Ukyo sleeping with his head pillowed on his bare chest. His white hair is soft, sleep mused, and still sticking up in odd directions from last night. His sleep relaxed face was a distinct difference from the near constant exhaustion he wore the night before at the bar.

There was a first time for everything, he thinks.

He lets out his breath, flopping his head back into the pillows. The bed was comfortable as hell at least.

His movement disturbs Ukyo, and the man groans. Stretches, and then wraps his arms tight around Hyoga’s waist. He yawns widely. Hyoga watches with his mouth slack, not sure what to do here.

“Mornin’ babe.” Ukyo mumbles.

What the fuck.

He tilts his chin up with a sleepy smile to look at Hyoga but when their eyes meet he freezes. Blinks. And shoots up in bed.

“Hyoga !”

“Yeah, morning, babe.”

Ukyo grimaces into an embarrassed grin. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you stayed. Mornings make me a bit…”

“Clingy?”

The grin was gone. It was just an awkward grimace now.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t sweat it.” Hyoga stretches now that he’s free. The way Ukyo looks at him doesn’t go past him.

He’s in over his head, so Hyoga does the one thing he knows works. Pretends to be confident.

He keeps his arms stretched and folded under his head. Leaving himself on display. He wouldn’t admit it but he’s getting something out of the way Ukyo is sweating.

“Coffee?” The guy offers.

Hyoga shrugs. “Sure.”

Why isn’t he leaving?

Ukyo leaves him to that thought and bolts, ass naked, out of the room. A moment later Hyoga hears him curse when he must realize he left without pants. Without looking at Hyoga, he slips back in the room, opens the top drawer of his dresser, and grabs the first thing his hand touches.

Luckily, he manages to grab a pair of sweats. Hyoga isn’t sure if he’s up to seeing Ukyo anymore embarrassed.

Blushing. Sure. Embarrassment was a different story.

Now that he’s alone, Hyoga scrubs his hands down his face and takes a deep breath. What was he doing ? He never stayed the night. He never stayed more than a few minutes to catch his breath. What the hell made him pass out ?

He looks up at the ceiling. What was he thinking last night ?

The sex was good. Incredible even. Ukyo was a responsive partner and gave as much as he took. Hyoga had been surprised by that. He knows he has a type. He likes men who were smaller than him. And that usually came with the deal that they expected him to do all the work.

He usually didn’t care. If a guy wanted to be thrown around a bit, he was okay with that. It made things fun.

But Ukyo kept up with him. It was evident that he wasn’t used to hook-ups, sure. But that came with habits that Hyoga imagines fit people who tend to have partners rather than one night stands. He actually tried to figure out what Hyoga liked. Didn’t just leave him try and get them both off. Which never worked out equally.

The second round had been even better than the first when Ukyo had figured him out a bit.

Right. Two rounds. Hyoga was tired. No wonder he passed out.

Yeah, that’s enough of an explanation for him. He’ll figure it out. Maybe he’d even ask for his number…

Maybe.

With the smell of coffee dripping in the kitchen, Hyoga throws the covers off his legs and gets up. He needs a shower, but that might have to wait. For now he pulls on his boxers and squeezes into his jeans before walking out to the kitchen.

Ukyo has his phone plugged into the charger, he’s leaning on the counter, scrolling through while the coffee pot drips steady next to him.

Shit. Right. He should check to make sure Homura got home okay. He hunts for his phone and finds it under the coffee table. How the hell did it get there.

Right. Last night was fun… the more Hyoga thinks about it the more getting Ukyo’s number sounds like a good idea.

For now he had to make sure his friend was okay.

Thankfully, his phone isn’t dead, and when he lights up the screen he sees five messages from Homura. He almost panics until he sees the latest one was from a few minutes ago.

_> > **Homura:** Just got home. The guy was a solid 6/10. Too much grunting. [2:18am]_

_> >> Did you go home with Ukyo ?? [2:20am] _

_> >> Don’t ignore me I know you’re not asleep yet [2:50am] _

_> >> Hello ? You’re not dead right [10:36am] _

_> >> Text me whenever you crawl out of your cave loser [10:37am] _

Why did he ever worry about her again …?

Right, she could fight but she was a mess. But his best friend nonetheless.

He taps on the edges of his phone, running his thumb along the cracks on the corner of the case, wondering what he should tell her. Maybe he’d wait until he saw her and keep it simple for now. It was one thing to stay the night, it was another thing to stay the night then blow off Ukyo to text someone else when she inevitably blew up his phone for this.

Besides his battery only had 10%.

[10:46] Im alive. Phone is dying. Sorry bout your noisy hook up.

He checks to make sure his phone is on silent, knowing she’s about to chew him out for taking so long, and hits the lock button just as her first message comes through. She’ll be fine.

“Do you want anything in your coffee?” Ukyo calls.

Hyoga stands to move towards the bar, sliding into a stool so he’s facing Ukyo. “Just a bit of milk is fine.”

Ukyo nods, grabs the milk from the fridge but before he could pour the coffee, his phone lights up with a video call.

“Hello?”

_“Hey Ukyo.”_

That was Tsukasa. A very sad Tsukasa, but definitely him. Hyoga cringed, it wouldn’t be good if he knew he was there. It would just pour salt on the wound.

Ukyo must have had the same idea because he didn’t offer for Hyoga to greet him.

“You don’t sound to good.”

_“‘M drunk.”_

“Ah. Did you sleep?”

_“No… I should have known he had a boyfriend. When he asked to bring someone I should have known.”_

Oh it was one of those phone calls. Hyoga was glad Ukyo was handling it, he was more of a get your emotions out in the gym kind of guy.

“You couldn’t have known if he didn’t tell you.” Ukyo went ahead and poured the coffee for them.

_“I waited too long… and Gen is so pretty. Of course Senku likes him, he’s so nice.”_

Hyoga really wasn’t sure if he should be listening to this. He makes a motion not to let Tsukasa know he’s there and tries to creep away, reaching for his coffee.

Unfortunately, Tsukasa must have noticed the way Ukyo looked over his phone. At this point Hyoga is desperately trying to signal not to say anything.

_“‘s someone there? Ryusui?”_

“Uh,” Ukyo diverts his eyes back to the phone, “no— uh.”

_“...it’s Hyoga isn’t it.”_

Ukyo makes a face and Hyoga droops. So much for that.

_“You guys went home together, huh? Right… right. I don’t want to bother you.”_

“Wait, Tsukasa it’s okay—.”

_“I’ll talk to you guys later.”_

He hangs up the call and Ukyo drops his phone on the counter. Defeated. Great now even Hyoga feels a bit like an ass.

“He’ll be okay.”

Ukyo nods, he’s still avoiding eye contact and Hyoga hopes he isn’t making him uncomfortable. He’d tell him to leave if he wanted to, right?

“Would it be weird if I offered to order breakfast?”

Nevermind then.

“I could go for breakfast.”

Ukyo does look at him this time. A light smile on his face. It does something for Hyoga but he’s not able to put his finger on exactly what. He takes his coffee, just a little light from the milk, and tries not to think too hard about it. He’s still not processing that he’s even here.

“There’s a great bagel place across the street, they deliver since it’s so close,” Ukyo says, pouring his own cup of coffee and drinking it black.

“Sounds good. I’m surprised, you don’t seem like the black coffee type.”

Ukyo smiles into his mug. “I was just thinking I might pick up some of that flavored creamer later.” He flushes a little. “You get used to shitty coffee on a sub. I forget there’s options.”

Hyoga makes a face. “You need to go to a cafe instead of buying creamer then.”

“Maybe I should order a latte from this place then.”

* * *

How bagels turned into a third round of sex on the couch is beyond Ukyo. But by the time they both finish and he flops to the side to land on the cushions, he doesn’t have enough mental power to think about it.

He’s glad he didn’t make up an excuse to run errands like he thought about.

He’s breathing heavy, but Hyoga isn’t much better where he’s sitting, running his hand back through his hair. He’s a mess. They both are. Damn they really need a shower.

Fuck, Ukyo is sore.

“As fun as this is,” he pants, “I don’t think I can go again.”

He lets out a loud huff and lets his head fall back.

“I can bottom if you want.”

Did he just—

Ukyo’s head shoots up. Hyoga is watching him. There’s no joke. No apprehension. That statement was as straightforward as it gets.

It takes a second for his brain to kick into gear and he asks. “Shower first?”

Hyoga nods. “Shower first.”

—

A few hours and two showers later, Ukyo is pulling on a fresh pair of sweats. His hair is a wet mess but he’ll deal with that later. Across the room, Hyoga is hunting for his shirt he discarded the night before.

It’s unspoken, but they both realize it’s time to call it a day. Ukyo needs to call Ryusui and he’s sure Hyoga has his own commitments. It’s not always easy to take a whole day to disappear.

He watches out of the corner of his eye as Hyoga finds his shirt and pulls it on over his head. The last sliver of skin on his stomach disappearing just like that. Ukyo tries not to sigh.

He pulls on his own shirt and runs his towel through his hair again.

“Did you find everything ?” He asks, wanting to break the silence before it has a chance to become awkward.

Hyoga looks over, “yeah I think I left my wallet and keys with my helmet.”

“I think I saw them on the kitchen table.”

They leave the bedroom, and Ukyo feels like something has shifted. There was something about a meet up like this that one just doesn’t go back from.

He just couldn’t tell if Hyoga felt the same.

He leans against the kitchen bar, arms folded, tapping at his forearms as Hyoga gets his stuff together. He picks up his phone and stops, hesitates, seems to be considering something before he pockets his phone and looks up at Ukyo. They’re standing an awkward distance away, the air is thick between them. But neither of them say anything for a long moment.

“I’ll see you,” Hyoga says, nodding slightly and fiddling with his keys.

“Yeah,” Ukyo nods back, despite the fact he’s fully dressed for the first time today, he feels bare. Naked. He folds his arms and manages to look indifferent to match Hyoga. “See you.”

Hyoga grabs his helmet on the way out and Ukyo isn’t sure how true that is.

He isn’t sure how long he stands there, processing the events of all that just happened. But he’s broken from his thoughts when his phone lets out a series of happy chimes.

Blinking himself out of it, he moves around the counter to unplug his phone and check his messages.

It’s Ryusui.

_> > **Ryusui:** [5:14pm] Did you settle in okay ???_

_> >> I asked Francois to stock up on some food for you._

_> >> Is everything good ??_

Ukyo smiles, leaning his hip against the counter and falling into the natural pattern of their conversations. Yes, he saw the food, he was planning on having something for dinner. Tells him he’ll shoot Francois at thank you text.

It quickly shifts into easy banter, their usual. For a moment Ukyo wonders if he should mention anything about Hyoga just yet.

He decides he’ll tell Ryusui when he comes back next week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao


	4. I'm not used to seasons in the tin can

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ukyo struggles and Hyoga isn't hung up on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hah eventually I'll fix the typos in the first part. Today is not that day. Also, sorry I haven't decided a text format. Please feel free to yell at me if it's confusing.
> 
> TW // hangovers, mentions of sex

The next day, Ukyo is sitting across a patio table from Tsukasa, sipping a beer while the other nurses his hangover with ice water.

“How much did you drink, man?”

Tsukasa gives a shallow shrug that looks like it takes too much effort. “I stopped around noon, woke up after dinner with a hangover, so I drank again.”

Without responding to that, Ukyo tops off his water from the pitcher on their table. “I’ve got the bill for this one so just make sure you eat, okay?”

“Thanks, Ukyo,” he sighs, wipes at his face, and pushes his hair behind one ear. “I feel like a fool.”

“It happens to the best of us.”

“No, I really did wait too long. We talked about me confessing last time you were on leave, remember?”

Ukyo does remember, thinks that maybe it was too much of a delay. “You can still be his friend, though, can’t you?”

“His friend,” Tsukasa echos. “Yeah we’ve been texting all day. He’s still the same… still… remember how you were so sure he was flirting?”

“I’m still sure he’s flirting,” Ukyo says with a light scoff, “I just don’t think he realizes it.”

“Yeah, he hasn’t stopped, I don’t know what to think about it.”

Shrugging, Ukyo offers, “you could ask him to stop. For some space? Since he’s dating someone now. You can ask for that if you need to.”

It’s obvious that Tsukasa very much doesn’t want to ask that. Ukyo knows the whole delay came from a fear of change to begin with. The fear of losing his best friend. Neither of them continue that thought but Ukyo is still glad he said it.

“He asked me to hang out with him and Gen.”

Their food comes and they thank the waiter. Ukyo grabs his chopsticks and stirs at his ramen before eating. “You gonna go?”

God he missed normal food.

Tsukasa looks queasy where he’s staring into his udon. He picks up his chopsticks and pokes at the rice cake floating on top. “I’m thinking about it. He says he needs my help, which probably means he needs supplies that he can’t lift himself.”

Ukyo nearly choked on his food from laughing. Decides not to mention how Senku could easily ask Taiju and get the job done in an enthusiastic heart beat. He doesn’t need to point out what he sees through his own perspective and accidentally give Tsukasa false hope.

“I mean it would be a good chance to see if you’re really okay with things,” Ukyo suggests instead, “and if it hurts too much, you’ll know you should ask for space.”

“Yeah… maybe,” Tsukasa slurps his soup and sighs. Ukyo can imagine how good that broth feels on a hungover stomach.

Beside him, Ukyo’s phone buzzes. He leaves his chopsticks on his napkin and checks the message.

“Tell Ryusui I said hi.” Tsukasa says.

Ukyo looks up to give him a sheepish smile. He responds quickly so he can give Tsukasa his full attention.

“I’m surprised Hyoga stayed the night.”

Raising his eyebrows in a show of agreement, Ukyo responds, “trust me, I was, too.” He takes a bite and slurps his noodles.

“With me he didn’t even wait to catch his breath.”

Ukyo chokes.

“I’m sorry--,” he says between coughs, reaching for a napkin to wipe the broth from his chin. “What?”

“Oh, right, you wouldn’t know,” Tsukasa mumbles, then sips broth from his spoon. He looks nauseous. “We hooked up, that’s how we met.” Ukyo tries to avoid that visual, not with Tsukasa right there. He had too many references for how that would look after that fourth round and Ukyo isn’t sure he wants to imagine Tsukasa in that position.

Maybe later.

“How did you end up friends, then?”

“Ran into each other at the gym, he was looking for a new sparring partner and was recommended to find me,” Tsukasa shrugs.

“Isn’t that kind of awkward?” Ukyo asks, he wonders if he would be able to recover if he ran into Hyoga again. He still wishes he asked for his number…

Tsukasa shakes his head, noodles hanging out of his mouth. “He acted professional about it,” he says, “he was out of opponents that could keep up, so it was all business. We just ended up becoming friends afterwards.”

Something clicks in Ukyo’s mind and he looks at his friend, dumbfounded. “Wait, Hyoga can keep up with you?”

Laughing, he says, “at first, no. He was only good with a spear but he had all the strength and agility. Just no technique. He’s gotten better recently, managed to get me on my ass last week.”

At that, Ukyo stops.

Hyoga is strong. Hyoga can match with Tsukasa in the ring. He was able to floor him even. Sure, Ukyo knows he has strength. He experienced it first hand. But to be aware that he was able to keep up with Tsukasa, the strongest primate.

The thought has Ukyo regretting.

“I should have asked for his number.”

Tsukasa laughs louder this time.

* * *

It’s warm outside for November. There’s no clouds in the sky, so the heat hits Ukyo through his layers like it’s trying to bake him. He grimaces as he waits in front of the convenience store, wants to strip off the top layer of his outfit. Does he want to wrestle with his sweater in the middle of the street? Does he want that embarrassment?

He looks down at his phone again at the text from Chrome.

_>. **Chrome:** [2:34pm] I’m gonna be late! Something was wrong with a specimen in the lab, I have to check some levels before I can leave. Give me 20. Sorry, man._

He still has five minutes left. Could he wait that long in the heat? Or would it be easier to just bear the shame of wrestling out of his sweater without dropping his hat.

Sweat rolls down his neck and he shivers when the wind blows.

He grabs his hat off his head and shoves it between his knees. His thighs wouldn’t hold it. Ryusui always gives him grief about leg day, -- he does leg day, every tuesday and friday -- but he can’t help it, regulated meals don’t give him the protein he would need to battle his metabolism. Without worrying about the cap, he lifts the hem of his sweater over his head, he struggles when it gets caught on his shirt button, lifting it and exposing his stomach to the chilly air. He shivers, his hat falls.He wiggles until he gets a hold of the button, and unloops the stuck thread.

Finally free, he makes a dramatic gasp and tugs his shirt back down, shaking out his sweater and grabbing his cap from the ground to dust it off.

When he stands back up he notices his audience.

“Hyoga!”

The man is standing in front of the convenience store doors, he has a fountain drink in his hands, the straw between his lips as he’s very clearly watching Ukyo struggle with his clothes. When did he get there? Ukyo would have heard him. That’s--

“You good?” he asks, he’s squinting like he does, so it’s hard to read his expression.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m-- I’m good.” Ukyo shoves his hat over his hair, tries to remind himself that Hyoga has seen how flat it gets. What is he doing here? How did Ukyo not hear him? “Sorry, you just surprised me. I’m not used to getting snuck up on.”

The straw rests on his lower lip as a slight smile cracks on his face. “You were really having a hard time there, huh?”

Embarrassed, Ukyo tries not to cringe at himself as he swipes at the sweat on the back of his neck. Gross. Real attractive. Hyoga on the other hand looks good. It’s different from what he wore the other day. That had been for going to a club, finding a hookup. Something that showed off his physique.

This is a different look. He looks cozy in an oversized pull over and joggers. There’s a mask pulled down around his chin. He looks like a boyfriend.

Ukyo should ask for his number.

“It’s hot. I’m not used to seasons in the tin can.”

Nodding slightly, Hyoga opens his mouth to say something.

“The ATM is out of order, that’s why it wouldn’t work, and it took two employees to figure it out,” Homura interrupts them, coming out of the store in a huff, she’s pocketing her wallet. Her hair is up in a messy bun, she looks cozy, too. If Ukyo didn’t know any better he’d make the guess that they were together -- again. Her zip up hoodie and joggers are a bright pink in contrast to his black attire. Ukyo wishes he had worn something more comfortable that day.

They look good together, he thinks. Even if he knows they’re not, they act like it. The way he reacts to her presence and she slides up to his side like she belongs there. They’re so used to being in each other’s space.

He wonders what the story is between them.

“Oh, Ukyo, right?” she asks, blinking. Her expression yields nothing, her thick lips parting only slightly.

He feels scrutinized suddenly.

“Yeah,” he swallows, wonders what about the way she’s looking at him feels so unsettling. “It’s good to see you again.”

“It is.” she nods once. “Sorry we can’t chat, we’re on a tight schedule after that mess,” she waves towards the store.

“Ah, okay,” Ukyo realizes he’s wasting time, if he wants to ask for Hyoga’s number it’s now or never. “Yeah, do you think--.”

“Ukyo! Hey!”

Inwardly cursing Chrome’s bad timing, he looks over his shoulder to see his friend jogging up to meet him. He’s waving with all of his usual enthusiasm. Ukyo is happy to see him but--.

“Catch you later, Ukyo,” Homura says. He looks back at them and they’re already walking away. She’s waving. Ukyo catches Hyoga’s eye for just a moment. They’re open. He doesn’t look forward until Chrome fully pulls Ukyo’s attention away.

“Haaah, man, sorry about that,” Chrome apologizes between pants, he digs his fingers underneath his headband to adjust it. “The lab’s being evaluated for another fund, so Senku would have had my ass if I didn’t fix that culture.”

Glancing back one more time, Ukyo sees that the other two are already well into their own world. Hyoga isn’t looking back anymore. He laments another missed opportunity and focuses on Chrome. “Don’t worry, you guys have been trying to get funds forever, I understand.”

“Yeah! And this next one would mean I could get paid.” Chrome sags at the idea. “And the benefactor is some hot shot foreign inventor. I don’t know how Senku has these connections, but it would mean I can put his name on my resume, too.”

Ukyo snorts, folding his sweater over his arm. He’s starting to feel chilly again but doesn’t bother to put it back on. “Like you’d work anywhere else, do you even need one?”

“Nah!” Chrome grins. He pats Ukyo on the back, “Anyways! How’ve you been?”

* * *

“Don’t break your neck.”

The straw smacks Hyoga in the nose when he looks down at Homura, caught. He had been watching Ukyo and his animated friend from where he and Homura stood waiting for the crosswalk man to give them the go.

“That’s why you wanted to wait outside, hm?” she asks, scrolling on her phone. “You’ve been spacy ever since you went home with him, was he that good a lay?”

Hyoga sucks on his teeth. Considers telling her… realizes that it’s no use, that she’d get it out of him eventually. “Four rounds.” He sips his drink.

She fumbles her phone, scrambles, but manages to catch it with her other hand before it drops out of reach. “Four?” she looks at him like he just told her he was running away to join the circus. “In one night? What kind of ass--.”

“I stayed the night. Two of those were in the morning.”

Homura stops short, grabs him by the sleeve in the middle of the crosswalk. A businessman curses at them when he nearly walks into Hyoga’s shoulder, but neither pays him any mind.

“You did what?”

Hyoga looks around, over her head, refuses to make eye contact as he tries to communicate how much he doesn’t want to have this conversation. The countdown must have ended because now cars are honking at them. Scowling at being interrupted from her interrogation, Homura grabs him by the sleeve and drags him. He debates on staying there and letting a car hit him, to avoid the conversation. But ultimately, he lets her pull him to the sidewalk.

“You stayed the night?” She presses the second they’re no longer blocking traffic.

He bites the corner of his lip in annoyance. Nods. “It’s not a big deal, Homura.”

“You never do that, Hyoga,” she’s still gripping his sleeve so she gives it a shake for emphasis. He waves her hand off, tucks his hand in his pocket. He doesn’t want to explain it to her. He hasn’t been able to work it through himself, either. “Don’t be a dick.” He rolls his eyes. “You even stopped to talk to him just now, don’t tell me you’re hung up on him.”

“I am not,” he huffs out a breath. “Hung up. The sex was just good. I’m tempted to ask for an arrangement.”

It was a lie. He wasn’t sure what he wanted from Ukyo. The only things he could work out the last few days since their hook up was that one, Ukyo gave as good as he took; two, he was easy to be around. That was what had Hyoga so stuck on the whole thing. Ukyo wasn’t particularly interesting. He had some kind of super trained hearing, he had a steady job, and it didn’t always feel so fake when Hyoga smiled around him. But all of his friends were good company… all two of them. He could say much the same for Tsukasa, if not more. But he never thought twice about never hooking up with his sparring partner again.

Okay, that was a lie, too. But he never really considered going through with it.

“Friends with benefits?” Homura raises an eyebrow. “This is weird. You know this is weird, right?”

“We’re going to be late,” Hyoga says with finality. He had nothing to say to her, and he knew it would only end in a fight. He walks away in the direction of the academy.

“Fucking asshole.” She curses him, but follows with a huff anyways.

* * *

Some hours later, when Hyoga is done with his shift and he’s back at his apartment, he taps the side of his phone. The cracks in the corners of the case from the few times he dropped it are familiar. The pad of his finger finds a particularly rough spot and picks.

His father had just emailed him the details of his next job, a bit more complicated, more risky, than the ones they had done before. They had time to prepare, at least. Homura had a lot of research to do, and he had to make his own arrangements, too. But that wasn’t what he was thinking about.

No, just then he was thinking about his encounter with Ukyo. Both times. He wondered… how could he go about getting Ukyo’s number.

For hook ups.

He could ask Tsukasa, that was an option. But he didn’t want to deal with any more interrogations. Though he did need to meet up with him for a round in the ring, maybe he could pester him about it then… see if they could all go out for drinks again.

He slides his thumb down the side of his phone and unlocks it.

_> **Hyoga:** [10:42pm] gym tomorrow?_

_> > **Tsukasa:** [10:47pm] sounds good_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got yelled at for breaking Tsukasa's heart in the first chapter. He'll be okay.


	5. Can I skip the helmet?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try and post 3 chapters every update. It just might mean longer stretches in between. But hey, 4&5 double what chapter 1-3 gave you at least.
> 
> Trigger warnings for the chapter: drinking, mentions of sex, anxiety attacks and the thought process that comes with them, migrains

Senku is on a tangent again.

Ukyo is sitting in the lab for the third day in a row, and this time it’s crowded. Chrome is following along, keeping up with every step of Senku’s explanation to the lab’s current project. They’re both enthusiastic, their tag team dynamic having only gotten more precise since Ukyo had been gone. He’s been lost for eight minutes now.

Gen is listening, not contributing as much, but he clearly gets it. He’s leaning against a bench, hands in the pockets of his cardigan. Making eye contact with Ukyo, he cracks a smile. It must be obvious how much Uyko doesn’t get it.

“Senku-chan,” he calls to his boyfriend. It stops the man in his tracks. Even Chrome stops, hands in the air from his part of the explanation, to look over. It’s rather impressive. “When did you want to leave for the bowling alley?”

Right, that’s what they were supposed to be doing.

“At eight like we agreed,” he answers, like it’s obvious. “We still have seven minutes left.”

Ukyo tries not to sigh, but he feels his eyebrow twitch at the thought of seven more minutes. He loves Senku, but he wishes he would dumb it down so they could actually follow. He would deal though.

“We should leave now actually,” Kohaku says from where she’s scrolling on her phone. She’s on top of one of the lab tables. It’s been obvious that she tuned them out a while ago. “Traffic’s backed up so we’ll miss our reservation.”

“Ah, is that so,” Senku says with his hands on his hips. “Guess it can’t be helped. I’ll have to explain it to you both later.”

She hops down from the table, landing just fine despite her heels. How did she do that? “Great, I’m looking forward to it.” It sounds genuine. Ukyo thinks it is. “Come on, the others just texted they’re on their way there.”

They all hurry out behind her, Ukyo grabbing his phone off the table and pocketing it. Gen grabs Senku and Chrome by the back of their lab coats. They both startle, then give the man wide grins when they strip off the white coats each. It seems like they’re used to it.

That’s one thing about his job. Every time he came back, he felt a little more like an outsider. Like everyone found new ways to fit together. But he could never figure out how to squeeze back in.

Maybe he was overthinking it.

Trailing behind them all, he unlocks his phone and goes back to the top message room.

_> > **Ryusui:** [6:51pm] They just told me this trip was extended another week. I’m sorry._

_> > > [6:52pm] I hear my name being called, I’ll message you before bed. Have fun with the guys._

Ryusui. The last missing piece to their friend group.

He rereads the messages a few times, scrolls up in their conversation to see their usual flirting. Something about a girl he picked up a few months ago reaching out again. Plans for when he was back in town. He misses him.

He didn’t reply earlier. Because he was worried his emotions would get the best of him in front of the others.

_> **Ukyo:** [7:55pm] it’s okay. have a good night at work. miss you._

Biting the inside of his lip, he pockets his phone before he can overthink it all, tries to focus on his friends.

Clearly he didn’t do a good job hiding things because Gen is lagging behind the other three to walk in line with Ukyo.

“You seem stressed,” Gen says, his walk is leisurely, the way he keeps his hands in his pockets like he’s in no rush. The other three up ahead are cracking jokes and laughing at something Chrome said.

For a moment, Ukyo debates on brushing it off. Playing the usual socially acceptable role and pretending like nothing is wrong. There’s a scrutiny in Gen’s kind gazed that tells him it’s pointless, though.

“It always takes me time to adjust,” Ukyo explains. He adjusts the brim of his hat. “Everyone on the sub is so used to each other. So, coming back and trying to fit into normal life always takes time.”

“I imagine it would be awkward,” Gen muses. “Do you miss them?”

“Hm?”

“The crew on the sub.”

“Oh.” Ukyo shrugs heavily. “They’re cool people. But I wouldn’t say I miss them.”

Gen hums simply. “It was an adjustment for me, too,” he says, nodding to the trio. “The three of them. Or Senku when Taiju and Yuzuriha come by. Even with Tsukasa… Senku’s popular.”

“Aren’t you famous?”

Laughing, Gen sends him a look from the corner of his eye. “This isn’t an act.”

Ukyo thinks he gets it.

Kohaku was right about the traffic, but they’re only a little late and Tsukasa still hasn’t shown up yet.

His ribs are crushed in a back breaking hug when Taiju sees him before Yuzuriha manages to remind her fiance of his strength. He sets Ukyo down and settles for patting him a few more times on the back. Ukyo just barely keeps his balance.

“Right! Well we got a lane.”

And that’s it for the reunion, Ukyo follows them inside to lane nine. There’s already a diverse selection of bowling balls there. He imagines that was Taiju’s doing.

The sounds of the place hit him like a brick wall the moment he’s through the doors and he knows it’s going to be a long night.

They start setting up, sliding on the smelly bowling shoes, ordering beer and cheap food. Gen orders himself a rum and coke and Ukyo debates on doing the same. He could use a good buzz to keep his mind off things. To deal with the noise in the bowling alley.

Senku pauses where he’s pouring drinks when his phone chimes. The way he stops short reminds Ukyo of Gen’s power back in the lab. His face lights up.

“Tsukasa’s here!” he says, setting the pitcher of beer down so Kohaku can take over. He turns around to search the bowling alley for their friend. It’s not like he would be hard to see. The guy is massive.

Of course, they spot him easily. And with him--

Ukyo’s stomach swoops. Hyoga is with Tsukasa, Homura in tow. Her eyes are glued to her phone but Hyoga is looking their way. It’s just… hard to tell where.

It makes sense. He should have expected this, really. They had the same friend group. It was inevitable.

Doesn’t mean Ukyo is prepared.

He smiles at them when they approach, tries to keep it casual. None of them know about the hook up aside from the three newcomers. Tsukasa grips Ukyo’s shoulder where he’s sitting nursing a beer.

“He asked about you, you know,” he says, quietly, in a way that only Ukyo would really hear.

Ukyo cranes his neck to look up at him. He pats the seat next to him and Tsukasa sits.

“Did he?”

“Yeah.” He leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “Just if you’d be here. But for Hyoga that’s something.”

Ukyo doesn’t doubt it. That bit of information has him stressed even more. He wasn’t sure how to act around Hyoga. Which only made the whole situation worse.

Does he act like they don’t know each other? Should he act like they’re friends at least? How does one interact with their twenty hour hook up? Should he be bold…?

The others absorb Hyoga into the conversation quickly, something about Kohaku’s eye with aiming. Tsukasa gets dragged in sooner or later by Senku’s beck and call. And then he’s alone again.

Until Homura gracefully drops down beside him.

“You’re not going to join them?”

“I have no idea what they’re talking about.”

She laughs. It’s similar to what Hyoga does, but he can hear the rush of her breath at least. “That’s fair.”

And then she stays there, sipping at her own beer and watching in silent amusement as Kohaku and Hyoga hold down a practice run on their own against the rest. The shouts of protest as they do are entertaining. Even if Ukyo is flinching with every strike.

“You’re on our team,” Homura tells him. He nods, accepts it. There’s no reason not to, he can do that.

When it’s her turn, she stands, leaves him. Just for Hyoga to occupy her seat shortly after. “It’s noisy in here.”

Ukyo glances at him, looks down at his drink, flinches when Homura gets a spare. The pins hitting the back wall hurt his ears. He can feel his anxiety climbing. He feels nauseous. He still doesn’t know how to talk to his friends. He’s hyper aware of Hyoga’s presence by his side.

He’s overwhelmed.

“It’s fine, it’s still fun.”

“If you say so.”

* * *

Things are not fine.

It’s been an hour and a half of overwhelming sensory input and Ukyo’s got a wicked migraine. He can barely open one eye against the throbbing in his skull. The beer in his glass is warm because he’s got both hands wrapped around the bottle. Somehow he’s managing to laugh at the right moments. Agree or disagree with the right playful arguments. But he’s not sure how long he can keep this up.

Somehow things with Hyoga became the least of his worries.

The man played his turn, gave his piece to the same conversations. Held those strange silent conversations with Homura. And sat next to Ukyo, the whole time.

He wasn’t mad, he just didn’t know how to feel.

But he was grateful for it. Because Hyoga was quiet. And as much as he loved his friends he wasn’t sure if he could handle any of the louder voices occupying the seat beside him.

With Hyoga there the whole time, that never happened. It wasn’t much, but it gave Ukyo a point to focus on. Grounding himself on the knowledge that the man was beside him, quiet. One thing that would stay steady all night and not bombard him with constantly changing sounds.

Unfortunately it didn’t solve his headache.

Senku and Chrome are bickering over the trajectory of their bowling balls as they have been for half an hour now. Tsukasa is being helpful, letting Senku direct his motions to test his theories. It turned into a one-on-one between Tsukasa with Senku’s direction, and Taiju siding with Chrome. Yuzuriha and Gen have been in an intense discussion in the back over a basket of cheesy fries.

And he’s pretty sure Homura might take Kohaku home tonight.

Good for them.

Taiju gets a strike and he and Chrome cheer. They accidentally knock the metal bucket that holds their beers to the floor. With no bottles, it’s harmless, but the clanging as ice spills and the bucket hits a chair leg has Ukyo nearly dry heaving from the spike in his migraine.

Hyoga’s hand reaches out, grabs Ukyo by the knee. “You want a ride home?” He asks. “Homura rode with Tsukasa so I’ve got a free seat.”

Ukyo turns to him, feeling how twisted his face must look. It can’t be attractive. “I could kiss you right now.”

One of those slow laughing smiles spreads across Hyoga’s face. “Maybe later. Give me a sec.”

He makes his way over to where Homura is leaning into Kohaku’s space, giving her undivided attention. It’s incredible, the way they’re barely touching yet they look like they’re completely consumed by one another. On his way over he grabs one of the beer bottles that survived the fall.

He hands it to Homura, says something Ukyo can’t hear properly over the way Taiju and Chrome are bickering over the best way to clean up ice. She takes the bottle. Whatever is exchanged between then, Ukyo is fairly certain is done without words.

“We’re heading out.” He says to the group, grabbing his helmet off the table. “I’m taking Ukyo home.”

No one questions it. Thank god. Ukyo shudders at the thought of loud teasing and suggestive comments. They all wave as Ukyo and Hyoga head out.

“Feel better, Ukyo,” Gen says kindly as they pass.

Ukyo manages a strained half smile and Yuzuriha grips his bicep affectionately. “Get some sleep. Text us if you need anything.”

He agrees, thanks her, and hurries out behind Hyoga.

In the cool, quiet night air, Ukyo takes a deep steadying breath and fights the way his stomach wants to heave.

“My head hurts so bad.”

“Think you can handle the bike?” He lifts the helmet.

Ukyo considers it for a second. Realizes it’ll be claustrophobic. “Can I skip the helmet?”

A quick, sharp smile cuts across Hyoga’s face. Lips tight. He shakes his head.

Ukyo sags. Gives him a grimace to ask if he’s serious. He responds by holding up the helmet and giving it a little shake.

Desperate to go home and without any energy to put up a fight, Ukyo relents. Takes the helmet. Squeezes it on over his pounding head as Hyoga throws his leg over the driver's seat.

Fuck. Ukyo nearly forgot how hot he was on a bike. He’s once again in a big pullover, but his jeans are a second skin on his legs where they hug the body of the bike like something that should be illegal.

He turns to look at Ukyo and raises his brow. Thank god for the helmet, cause his jaw is open.

He gets on the back of the bike and hooks the back of his cap to his key ring on his belt. The helmet makes the pounding of his pulse sound amplified but it’s better than being inside.

He wraps his arms around Hyoga’s waist, lets himself enjoy the feeling of Hyoga’s hard stomach under his palms. Now that he knows this man’s body so intimately, it’s not hard to appreciate. Was never hard. But it’s even better now.

They zoom through the city and the helmet does a good job on muffling the world around them. There’s no wind suffocating him, or lights blinding him. Even the sounds feel toned down. The bit that does come through makes his stomach roll so he holds tighter onto Hyoga. Lets his strong frame ground him.

Outside Ukyo’s apartment building, Hyogs stops the bike but doesn’t dismount. Just leans back into Ukyo and pats his forearms where they’re wrapped around him.

Bleary, Ukyo takes the helmet off and hands it over, struggles to get off the bike but manages not to fall on his ass. He stands there for a second, a little out of his own head and not sure what to say. Should he invite him up? Would that be polite or just suggestive? Did he even want to have sex right now? Or did he just not want to be alone.

“I’m not coming up tonight.” Hyoga answers for him, he folds both arms on top of the helmet where he has it in front of him. “You’re dead on your feet. Get some sleep.”

Ukyo nods drunkenly. Grateful he didn’t have to be the one to make a decision tonight. He watches as Hyoga puts the helmet over his head. Why is that sexy. That shouldn’t be sexy.

He goes through the motions to start up the bike again and Ukyo’s brain finally kicks into gear.

“Hyoga.” He says, just enough to be heard.

He stops, turns to Ukyo and lifts the visor of the helmet, listening. His eyes are open and focused on Ukyo.

Yeah, it’s still just as chilling as the first time.

“Let me get your number.” He says it simply. He hopes he sounds confident but he’s pretty sure he just sounds tired. He feels it.

The air hangs between them, suspended but not awkward as Hyoga considers him for a long moment.

“Okay.” He answers, shifting to take his phone out of his jacket pocket, unlocks it, and hands it over to Ukyo.

“Okay.” Ukyo punches his number in quickly with shaking fingers. He sends himself a quick text message. He won’t let this guy leave him hanging for days.

With his phone back in his pocket, Hyoga nods, almost to himself. “I’ll text you.”

“Yeah, see you around.”

Then Hyoga leaves. And Ukyo doesn’t think to hard about any of it. Cant think past the pounding in his skull. He gets up stairs and passes out the second his head hits the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 10k words later and Ukyo finally has a phone number. Score.


	6. He knows what he's working with

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was harassed. So now you have porn.
> 
> It's not that crazy though.
> 
> Also I'm updating the tags. Make sure you read all of them, bye.
> 
> trigger warnings: Ukyo gets ghosted, sexual situations, implied sex

The next few days, things go pretty smoothly. Ukyo wakes up with only a slight headache and a text from Ryusui _and_ Hyoga. The former being a full emotional tangent in character to the man and in response to Ukyo’s last message.

He promises to rush things if he can. If he can come back by next weekend, it’s his goal. Only a week late…

The words are nice. He’s heard them plenty of times so they don’t hit the same. But he knows they’re genuine. That he’s telling the truth. That he means every word. It may not be quite the same as the first time but he needs to hear it. He smiles to himself, responds in turn with his usual. It would be okay.

The text from Hyoga is much more simple.

_> > **Hyoga:** [6:23am] hey_

Ukyo snorts. He really over thought things last night, huh?

He types:

_> **Ukyo:** [10:31am] why were you awake at 6:30 ??_

Do they have the kind of relationship that he can skip the hellos? Was that too foreword?

He stops himself.

What happened to not overthinking…? Ukyo reminds himself that this man had already seen several interesting sides of him. He hits send and flops back into the pillows.

They text… pretty infrequently after that.

Hyoga works odd hours at his family’s academy. He has to have things prepared by seven am. And if he wants to get his own workout in he has to wake up before that. His day starts at five am apparently.

It reminds Ukyo of deployment and he shudders. He’s used to it but he very much enjoys sleeping in on his leave.

He works weirdly long hours. They don’t have many students, but he and Homura split between technique and martial arts, and agility and flexibility. Different age groups throughout the day. Maintenance of the facilities. From the sounds of it they were the only two employees.

It sounds exhausting.

He texts Ukyo through that Friday when he has time. And they almost meet up on Sunday. They talk it through. Make the plans. But the time is never decided and then…

Nothing.

It’s now Tuesday and Ukyo is staring at their chat and the little “read” at the bottom. It’s been there since he woke up Monday morning. He’s not sure how to feel.

Sure, Hyoga wasn’t a very responsive texter. But he was a busy man. Ukyo understood that. He always did respond once that “sent” turned into “read” though, at least for the first few days. So, what gives?

Should he be mad? Insulted? Should he check and make sure things are okay?

No, if something bad happened, Tsukasa would probably let him know. Maybe he could text Tsukasa. He opens the chat with him and stares at the blinking cursor in the message box. Is he really so hung up on this guy that he has to ask other friends about him. Isn’t that kind of sad?

Yes.

Ukyo closed the message app and threw his phone away from him. Then he slams a couch pillow on top for good measure and faces the TV with a huff.

He’s not even sure what’s happening anymore in the drama he’s watching. It’s something he started last time he was on leave. Some kind of romantic drama that managed to get a second season. He’s behind quite a bit and he’s confused by the new side story. But the main couple has apparently gotten together and broken up more than once.

Ukyo isn’t sure how the first season ended, but he thinks they should have left it at that. This second season seems too forced for its own good.

He leans on the arm rest of the couch, tries to focus on the show. He’s annoyed at the male lead. He’s way too closed off for someone who’s already hooked up with her. Can’t he just suck it up and see her? He’s not even sure why they broke up in the first place.

His love interest is currently ranting to the second female lead. Something about how he’s giving her the cold shoulder. She says a line about how she shouldn’t be so hung up on a guy that won’t give her the time of day.

Ukyo agrees.

And he hates it.

He doesn’t want to be the female lead in a romantic drama.

* * *

Hyoga is fixing the ties on the cloth coverings of the student-use spears when Homura corners him. It’s after sunset but he forgot to turn the lights on so he’s been working by the last dregs of sunlight coming in the west window. He knows she’s mad because she flicks the light on with force and he hears her shoulder hit the doorframe when she leans against it.

“Are we ever going to talk about this Ukyo kid? Or are you going to keep being a dick?”

He pulls the string on one tighter before it can fall off. It’s not too bad.

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

He doesn’t have to look up to know what kind of look she’s giving him. He hasn’t quite been in this same situation before, but he imagines it’s similar to when he hasn’t slept enough after getting his shit kicked. It hasn’t happened since he started training with Tsukasa but he knows it well enough.

“Bullshit.”

He finishes this spear and stands to hang it back on the rack. Holds his tongue. Reminds himself that he loves his best friend even when she’s being a nosy bitch.

“What’s with you and him anyways?” She asks, she sounds genuine. He almost feels bad for calling her a bitch.

Then he remembers he’s not wrong.

“There is no me and him,” he answers.

“Hyoga, you stayed the night and took him home when he was sick,” she said, “You usually won’t even wait until your hook-ups wipe the cum off their stomach before you leave.”

He sucks on his teeth, calms himself down before he turns to her.

“Do you really think so low of me?” he asks, finally facing her.

She’s leaning against the door frame, eyebrow raised. They both know she knows him too well. She has too much on him. Why did he ever let her in? He can’t remember.

He runs a hand down his face. “Look--.”

“You like him.” She accuses. It’s accusatory. She’s not teasing him, she’s just mad. “I can’t believe you.”

“I wouldn’t say I know him enough to go that far.”

“So what? Did he suck your dick so well you fell in love?”

Hyoga sighs. He loves his best friend. He does.

“What’s your point here?”

“I just want to know what you think you’re doing?” she says. “You’re going to regret this.”

“He was a good fuck,” he gives her.

“Okay, and?” She scoffs. “I made you see stars and you told me you didn’t give a shit about me.”

“I give a shit about you,” he corrects her. Hard.

“Not like this.”

He sighs. Again. “What are you jealous?”

“Oh gross,” she looks genuinely put off. He won’t push it.

“Then what do you want me to say?”

“I want you to be honest to me,” she snaps. “Stop denying shit, I can’t help you when you do that.”

“Help me?” He turns to her. His clothes stick to him uncomfortably, the sweat from the day drying uncomfortably. He just wants to take a shower and sleep.

Maybe text Ukyo. When did he last respond?

“This won’t go over well if you’re,” she unfolds her arms to wave exasperatedly at him, “doing whatever this is. Someone’s gotta keep a straight head.”

“There’s nothing straight about this.”

“Listen you bastard.”

He smiles. If she’s cursing him out he’s okay.

“Can we be serious here?” She folds her arms again, looking… almost sad. He doesn’t like that. She hasn’t looked sad in years and he wasn’t a fan.

He’s not sure if she’s doing it on purpose but he doesn’t like it. He doesn’t like the serious, emotional Homura. He’d rather just roll with whatever she’s feeling to avoid that. Shaking his hair out, he takes a deep breath and sits back on the bench, abandoning the closing work for now. Giving her his attention, he spreads his hands, lets her speak.

“You know this won’t end well,” she says, “You do know that right?”

“Homura, nothing’s even started.”

She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath. He almost feels bad. He knows she cares, too much, more than she cares about herself. So he tries to make up for it, by treating her right. Even if he couldn’t be anything more than a friend to her, he would make sure she felt valued. Real.

At his words, she just looks more tired. She’s waiting for him to own up to it.

“Okay, I don’t mind his company.”

The eye roll she sends him looks painful. “And what are you going to do about it, hm?”

He raises an eyebrow at her. “Do I have to do anything?”

“You have his number.”

It’s not a question. He exhales, heavy, rubs at his neck. Let’s her figure it out.

“You left him on read, didn’t you?”

“Uh,” He thinks. He did open the message. Does he have read receipts on? Did he respond? He thought he did. He should check.

She looks beyond tired now. Like he’s hopeless. He thinks she might be right.

“How long?”

He tries to remember but he can’t. It’s not like he was trying to leave Ukyo on read, he was just bad at this. Standing up, he moves to their lockers. Which aren’t really lockers as much as they were a glorified medicine cabinet with a combination lock. He takes out his phone and checks his messages with Ukyo.

“I was supposed to meet him on Sunday.”

“Hyoga. It’s Tuesday.”

“Yes, Homura, I know.”

* * *

Ukyo cursed when Hyoga pushed inside. It was fucking hot. It had been too long.

He felt his breath on his neck, teeth biting into his neck with that first thrust. His arms barely held him up, he could barely catch his breath.

It was a lot. Hyoga was a lot.

So much.

He gasped in a breath when Hyoga’s hand spread across his hip, holding on tight, fuck he was gonna bruse in the morning.

The breath left his neck and a large hand pushed down between his shoulder blades. His arms buckled. Ukyo collapsed into the pillows, this time his breath had more volume. Did he scream? He couldn’t tell past the pressure.

“Fuck you’re hot.”

Ukyo drank it in, arched his back. He let it happen. He’ll have his turn soon.

For now he’d let this ride play out. Happily.

Hyoga cursed again, his large, spear calloused hands gripping his hips in desperation. He was just as desperate and Ukyo couldn’t help but smile. He let his eyes move over his shoulder.

Holy fuck what a view. It was hard-- to focus. Through it all but Hyoga was beautiful. All cut muscle and strength. Strong hands and force. But he knew what he was doing. Hell was that a blessing, Ukyo would have kicked him and took over if he just relied on the size of his dick.

For this? This Ukyo just let his jaw fall open, made himself look good. He knows what he’s working with. What men like Hyoga like. He liked it, too.

After a particularly hard thrust, Ukyo practically choked, Hyoga leans back down, hand strong around the back of his neck, breath against his shoulder. They both pause to catch their breath. It’s overwhelming.

Hyoga is a lot.

“You’re so fucking sexy.”

Ukyo smirks, breathes heavily. He’s surprised Hyoga is talking so much. Wonders if it’s the usual for him, or if he managed to pull this side out of him.

When he starts thrusting again, breathe hot in his ear, Ukyo let’s himself believe that he’s the exception.

* * *

Half a dozen chimes from his phone and a scream from the movie on TV wakes Ukyo up.

He startles, curses, hands fly to his crotch cause shit if that isn’t the worst combination with his dream.

When he realizes where he is he sags into the couch cushions. Mutes the TV. He’s glad he’s alone but still wishes he didn’t exist. He’s panting hard, a mix of fear and arousal in his blood. Holy shit that was a dream. Not even a dream. His brain just replayed the other night in detail and he wishes it would stop.

WIth one last tired exhale, he digs his phone out from the cushion and checks his phone.

He has texts from Ryusui and Hyoga. Again.

_> > **Hyoga:** [9:12pm] shit sorry. You busy tomorrow?_

Ukyo wants to murder. But he knows he’s too passive for that. Switches to Ryusui’s chat.

_> > **Ryusui:** [9:12pm] what are you up to!! I’m ready to pull my hair out. Everyone is so boring when I think about seeing you next week._

He decides to let Hyoga sweat, letting Ryusui’s attention fuel him while he’s in the mood.

_> **Ukyo:** I had a sex dream. I’m fucking pissed. TV woke me up._

_> > **Ryusui:** About me?_

_> **Ukyo:** no._

_> > **Ryusui:** HAHAHAHA._   
_> >> Details? Who are you dreaming about if it’s not me babe?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to scream at me on twitter @yamatos_chair
> 
> I post fanart and meltdowns lmao
> 
> Thanks again to Tri and now Sammy ! for feedback and input. I appreciate y'all.
> 
> Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated and motivating <3 pls give


	7. He skipped a step

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The thought makes him pause. Was that what he wanted? To be someone for Hyoga? He hadn’t been sure before now. But he considers it, weighs the idea in his mind. He’ll have to see how tonight goes. Hyoga could always leave before morning this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aanndd now Ukyo is no longer ghosted. 
> 
> So cute date time !!
> 
> Also ! I edited the previous chapters a bit and cleaned up the formatting (specifically the text messages). So that should be consistent from now on, if you stuck with this despite that thank you !!
> 
> One day I'll fix the typos lmao

_ > **Ukyo:** [10:13pm] no i’m not busy, why?  _

_ >> **Hyoga:** let me take you out _

_ > **Ukyo:** you’re not gonna stand me up again are you? _

_ >> (typing…) _

_ >> (typing…) _

_ >> **Hyoga:** fuck. no i won’t _

  
  


* * *

They actually go out this time, and Ukyo isn’t sure if it’s a date, but it’s starting to feel like one.

Hyoga keeps it simple. Taking him to a casual restaurant where they get a corner table, Hyoga recommends a few things but doesn’t react when Ukyo orders something else. Their conversation is easy, it could be just two friends getting a bite to eat.

Ukyo wonders if that’s all this is. If he’d be upset about it or not. Did he want this to be a date?

Then he realizes something about it all: it’s quiet. 

The staff bustling in the kitchen is a gentle background noise, minging with the lowered voices of a few other patrons. The food is good. Not spectacular, or else the place would surely be packed at this time, but definitely good. 

He’s relaxed. There’s no stress to his senses, no migraine. He’s actually enjoying himself. 

He’s surprised that Hyoga got it so right when he wouldn’t have even thought of this.

“Homura and I come here sometimes,” he says, when the waitress knew his order by heart. “It’s never too busy but the food is good.”

As they eat, Ukyo feels himself start to feel better about the situation. Hyoga is attentive, listening to Ukyo tell him about his week when he asks how he’s adjusting to being back. He asks questions in the right places. 

_ Have you seen all your friends yet?  _

Almost.

_ Do you have family you plan to see?  _

He’ll see them for the New Year, they weren’t all that close.

_ How long until you’re deployed again? _

Mid Spring. He goes back under in mid Spring.

In turn, Ukyo asks Hyoga about his work, about the classes. Things he wanted to ask but didn’t get a chance to when Hyoga ghosted him. He gets an explanation for that, too. Hyoga just wasn’t used to it. He has two friends, his cousin, Mozu, who lives in a different province. They don’t talk much, just keep in touch when it makes sense. His parents own another branch of the academy so they talk about work usually. Maybe once every few months at best.

Then there’s Homura, who he sees all day, every day. So they don’t text.

Ukyo can forgive that, he thinks.

When they finish their meals, Ukyo chews on the inside of his lip. Staring down at his empty plate, he wonders if this  _ is  _ a date. Should he take out his wallet? Should he let Hyoga pay? Should  _ he  _ try to pay? He decides against that last part as pay back for ghosting. 

They walk up to the cashier and he keeps a hand on his wallet, prepared to pay his share. But Hyoga’s already got his payment info in their system and then it’s done.

Shit, was this a date? Maybe he should offer to pay his share.

“Do you want cash, or should I send you the money?” he tries once they’re outside, casually like this hasn’t been bothering him. 

Brow furrowed in confusion, Hyoga looks down at him. “No need,” he says, “You can get the bill next time.”

_ Next time.  _ Wow, okay.

“Want to walk a bit?” Hyoga asks, already moving down the street towards a shopping district. Ukyo nods, goes with it. They don’t feel rushed. He doesn’t know what to expect from this date.

He’s still not sure if it’s a date. Being told ‘next time’ just makes him feel like it’s some sort of getting even. 

He  _ knows  _ he’s over thinking at this point. When they get to the shopping district, it’s noisier but not too bad. It’s a Thursday. There’s no reason for it to be too busy. 

  
  


The comforting scent of street food mixes in the cooling air. Heat and steam from the carts and stands along the sides of the road warm the air. People are meandering, it’s an easy night for everyone it seems. 

They don’t talk much, and Ukyo doesn’t mind. Occasionally they’ll point something out and make comments. They stop to check a few stands. Hyoga buys a phone charm for Homura and Ukyo teases him for it. 

Hyoga shrugs. Unashamed. 

Ukyo is glad he has someone like that in his life. Wonders if he could be that someone for Hyoga, too.

The thought makes him pause. Was that what he wanted? To be someone for Hyoga? He hadn’t been sure before now. But he considers it, weighs the idea in his mind. He’ll have to see how tonight goes. Hyoga could always leave before morning this time.

He realizes he skipped a step. They walk through a cloud of steam from a waffle vendor and Ukyo is thankful for the cover to his blush. He was already planning on waking up in the morning with Hyoga, oh god.

This wasn’t a hook-up anymore was it? If they were on a date. If Ukyo wanted to wake up with him… then they needed to talk.

“When was the last time you had ice cream?” Hyoga breaks him from his thoughts.

Ukyo blinks, looks up at him. “I can’t remember, honestly. Do the little plastic cups count? We had those sometimes.”

Hyoga makes a vaguely disgusted face and motions with his chin. “There’s a decent place around the corner. Homura always makes me take her there, it’s her favorite.”

“Okay, then let’s do that.” He forces a smile, tries desperately to make it look normal. He isn't sure how to start this conversation. Isn’t sure if he wants to have it yet. 

Did he have to? Maybe this was just a one time thing… maybe if this ended like a real hook-up it would be over. He wouldn’t have to worry about it.

Hyoga isn’t an idiot though, he gives Ukyo a slight look like he’s gauging the situation before he sets off in the direction of the ice cream shop. 

Inside is bright, obnoxiously colorful, and the music is loud as a girl group video plays on the monitors hung around the seating area. Ukyo flinches at how loud it is, immediately feels a migraine coming on. 

He doesn’t think much about what soft serve he’s getting, just points at the first flavor that looks okay and says yes to sprinkles and a cone. The pounding in his head is enough to distract him long enough for Hyoga to cover the bill  _ again. _

Yeah, this is a date. Shit.

He can’t think over the loud pop music.

A moment later and Hyoga has a hand on his back, guiding him through the throng of teenagers that just came in and out into the quiet night. As soon as the door closes behind them it’s better but it’s not until they make it a block away and there’s ice cream dripping down his fingers that he gets his wits back around him.

“Sorry, they usually don’t have the music that loud.”

Ukyo shakes his head, switching hands on his cone to lick the melted ice cream from his fingers. “It’s fine,” he waves it off. “I work sonar on the sub, so things just feel extra loud on the surface.”

He looks up at him, planning to give him as confident a smile as he could manage and is floored by how Hyoga returns it. He’s got both eyes open and it’s intense. He’s watching the way Ukyo sucks the melted cream off his fingers.

Ukyo takes his finger out of his mouth and the smile he gives actually  _ does  _ feel confident. 

As he takes his first lick of ice cream, keeping that eye contact, he notes that it does taste good. 


	8. You’ve always been predictable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He has both of their coffees ready by the time Hyoga comes to the kitchen bar. 
> 
> “You okay?” 
> 
> Ukyo looks up at him, imagines he must look stressed. He can tell he’s doing a bad job hiding it.
> 
> “I gotta tell you something.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited. This I love this chapter so much. Ukyo deserves all the boyfriends.
> 
> Check the tags ! They have been updated, since it's no longer a spoiler if you kept up this long.
> 
> TW : implied sex , tooth rotting fluff

Ukyo wakes up the next morning with a heavy arm thrown over his waist and breath huffing through his hair. He’s gross from the night before but comfortable. Relaxed. He hasn’t felt this good in a while.

Wiggling just a little in the embrace, he turns enough to see that Hyoga is the one behind him, still asleep but the way his face scrunches up suggests he won’t be for long.

It’s cute. Ukyo can’t help but smile.

Okay. It’s definitely past the hook-up point.

He has to tell him. 

Fuck he’s nervous. He’s never had to do this before, is he too late ?

This usually wasn’t how  _ he _ did things.

Hyoga lets out a huff in his sleep before stretching. Ukyo struggles to bite back a smile cause it’s  _ cute _ . Is Hyoga the type of guy you could call cute? Ukyo wasn’t sure. But he was. And he was pretty.

And shit Ukyo was already in deep.

Was it weird to just be watching him wake up like this?

“What no ‘good morning babe’ today?” Hyoga says through a yawn.

Ukyo feels his face heat up but tries not to let it get to him. “You want me to call you babe?”

Shit. Fuck. That was too bold, wasn’t it?

Hyoga just shrugs, seems to concede to his position and pulls Ukyo with him as he flops on his back. He smacks his lips and blinks against the morning sunlight. Then immediately grimaces and throws an arm over his eyes.

“Why’s your room so bright?”

Ukyo curls his arm around Hyoga’s bare stomach, letting himself enjoy the moment before he has to get serious. He watches the way dust dances in the sunlight streaming through the window. “I don’t get real sunlight very often,” he says, “when I’m home I like to get the most of it.”

“Hm,” he huffs. “I’ll give you that.”

Looking up at him, Ukyo smiles, just a little. Hyoga’s hand moves to guide him upwards, and then they’re kissing.

It’s easy. Ukyo braces himself on Hyoga’s chest and breathes into the kiss, doesn’t even mind the morning breath until he becomes acutely aware of his own. He breaks the kiss and presses his face into Hyoga’s shoulder.

He really hopes this goes well.

“Coffee?”

“Sure.”

Ukyo gets up, thinks that he needs the space for a moment to clear his head. Think straight. Get his thoughts on track. 

It’s less awkward this time, now that they’ve already woken up together before, so he doesn’t forget to put on pants this time. 

In the kitchen he switches on the coffee maker, checks his phone, sees that Francois is checking on him. They want to know if they should send more food with Ryusui on Monday. It was sent a couple of hours ago, bright and early on a Friday… they never do take a day off, do they? Ukyo won’t keep them waiting any longer and shoots off a text, saying he has enough for the weekend but will need more. Especially if Ryusui will be here.

With the coffee pot dripping, Ukyo goes to brush his teeth and spaces out a bit. 

Ryusui comes back to town on Monday. If he talks to Hyoga and things go well, he’ll tell him then. If things don’t go well.. then. It’ll be a good story, nonetheless. Ryusui did always encourage him to put himself out there.

It would be fine. He just hopes Hyoga feels the same way.

He spits in the sink and rinses, leaving the bathroom just in time for Hyoga to stumble in with just his boxers. His hand reaches to graze Ukyo’s stomach as he passes. It’s a more affectionate gesture than he was expecting. Hyoga was being more affectionate than he was expecting.

None of this is anything Ukyo ever expected, really.

He has both of their coffees ready by the time Hyoga comes to the kitchen bar. 

“You okay?” 

Ukyo looks up at him, imagines he must look stressed. He can tell he’s doing a bad job hiding it.

“I gotta tell you something.”

Hyoga sips his coffee and waits. He seems unbothered.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I wasn’t expecting this to turn into more than a hook-up. Or,” he scratches his bare arm nervously, “for me to really like hanging out with you.”

He looks up and Hyoga has both eyes fixed on him, he’s listening. Ukyo feels caught between the intensity of his eyes and the reassurance that his words are being heard.

“I’m in an open relationship,” he breathes out, “I’m allowed to see other people as much as I want. So you won’t deal with any drama there. And I didn’t think it was a big deal to bring up sooner because…”

“Neither of us expected more,” Hyoga nods, he puts his cup of coffee down and wipes at his lip. “No, it makes sense. I didn’t expect to stay the night either.”

“Which time?”

“Both.”

Right. So last night was a test for him, too. That makes Ukyo feel a little better. He remembers what Tsukasa said, that this wasn’t usual for Hyoga either. They’re both in new territory.

“I’d like to keep seeing you,” Ukyo swallows hard and forces himself to hold eye contact even though he  _ really  _ wants to observe the water stains on his coffee mug. He glances down, there are no water stains. Of course there aren’t. Francois would never allow that. He thumbs the edge anyways and looks back up. “If you’re okay with the fact I have a boyfriend.” 

Hyoga laughs. “Sorry, just a strange sentence to hear.”

“Yeah, it’s not conventional.” He makes a weird half smile. “I’m not used to this either. Ryusui’s always been the one with the open end to our relationship. But he’s always said he’s okay if I want to extend that on mine.” He shrugs.

“And you want to now? With me?” Hyoga sounds way more steady than Ukyo is. He envies him.

“With you, yeah,” he answers. “But it’s up to you.”

“Okay.”

Ukyo looks up, a little wide eyed. Not sure what that meant.

“Okay?”

“Yeah.” Hyoga shrugs one shoulder. Nonchalant. Casual. Ukyo squints a little in disbelief. There’s no way he’s so relaxed. “I’m willing to give it a shot.”

“Yeah?” Ukyo sounds back, he’s aware that he’s parroting but he can barely wrap his head around this.

With a nod, Hyoga stands up and walks around the counter, gets in Ukyo’s space — not that he minds,  _ at all. _

He puts both hands on Ukyo’s hips and pulls him in. “I usually don’t do things like this either,” he says, looking down at him so his hair falls in his face just enough to make Ukyo’s breath catch. “I have no expectations.”

He leans in and Ukyo breathes against his lips. “Cool. Same.”

* * *

_ Ukyo: i have good news to tell you _

_ Ryusui: !!!! _

_ Ryusui: Iim back coming early, fuck it. they can deal without me for a couple days _

* * *

  
  


After years of their unconventional, often long distance relationship, it still never gets old to see Ryusui bursting through the front door with all his dramatics. 

And dramatic he is.

He brought gifts as usual, his arms laden with bags no doubt packed by Francois and an obnoxiously large bouquet of flowers.

Ukyo used to wonder if it was strange to let his boyfriend buy him flowers, but then he realized he really did like them.

Even if he did pick a bigger arrangement  _ every time _ .

“Ryusui… where am I going to put these?” Ukyo stresses over the size of them. He’s not even sure if he has a vase that’s big enough.

“In this!” He holds up one of the gift bags with one hand and reaches in to pull out the gift himself. It’s an ornate, colorful, absolutely beautiful vase that’s nearly the size of his arm. He holds it up like it weighs nothing but that much glass can’t be light. “Isn’t it nice?! I got it in Korea. Hand blown glass, the craftsman was an absolute gentleman.”

He sets the other bags down and holds the glass up to the light streaming in through the living room windows. 

It  _ is  _ pretty, Ukyo thinks. It’ll be the first real decor in his apartment.

Something about that sinks comfortably into him, settling in his toes. 

“The colors reminded me of you, you like yellow right?” Ryusui checks, a cheeky, lopsided grin on his lips. Ukyo knows damn well he remembers that, yes, he likes yellow. And he’s bet that—, “and the blue is just like your eyes.”

Ukyo sets the flowers on the counter and rolls his eyes. He’s not even surprised at the obvious flirting. He just missed him. “I saw that one coming.” 

“Aw, am I getting predictable then?” Ryusui quips back easy, setting the vase down to meet Ukyo half way. 

“You’ve always been predictable.”

“I call bullshit on that one.”

Ukyo shuts him up with a kiss, tugging him in by the waist and holding on tight as Ryusui’s hands come up to hold his jaw, tipping his head back to meet him. 

“Missed you,” Ukyo slips in between kisses. 

Ryusui hums, he stays in his space. Breathing the same air. “I missed you too. I’m sorry I couldn’t come back last week.”

Ukyo waves it off easily, separating only because he wants to put the food in the fridge. It’s a long drive over, and though he trusts Francois packed it well, he doesn’t want to have to spend anymore time thinking about it.

“I’m just glad you were able to get off at the same time this year,” Ukyo tells him, sliding the containers that are marked ‘freezer’ and ‘refrigerator’ into their designated spots. 

While he does that Ryusui makes a face and moves to the sink to fill up the new vase. It’s huge, so he has to pull the extension out of the faucet. “Oh hell no, I told them I’m not letting them schedule me like that again,” he says, “I only get to see you a few months out of the year, I’m not doing that anymore.”

Ukyo joins him, unwrapping the massive bouquet of flowers and finding the packets of fertilizer to pass to him. “How long were you able to take off this time?”

“I’ve got most of your leave off, I just have a couple short trips here and there,” he explains, taking the bouquet when it’s ready and sliding it inside the vase. The colors do compliment each other well, he always did have an eye for aesthetics. “There, beautiful. Where do you want it?”

Sucking on his lip, Ukyo looks around the room. There’s really more empty space than anything. “Wherever you think would look best,” he says.

“By the window then,” Ryusui says with a toothy grin and moves to find the perfect spot. With the food away and the flowers taken care of, Ukyo leans against the counter and watches.

He sets the vase down with confidence, checking the flowers over one more time and preening so they don’t stick together. Ukyo watches the way he moves, how his shoulders shift under his button up, the designer jeans that fit his legs like a dream. He moves so animated, always full of so much energy.

Ukyo really missed him.

As if he heard that thought, Ryusui turns around with a brilliant smile and practically jogs back to him, wrapping him up in a tight hug. 

“What so you think, hm?” He turns them both so they can see the giant floral display. “Looks good right? It’s about time we make this place look lived in.”

“Yeah,” Ukyo nods, leaning into the comfortable embrace. Ryusui holds his weight like it’s nothing. 

“So, what’s the good news?” He asks, tapping at Ukyo’s waist. “You got me all excited.”

“Oh, yeah,” Ukyo got so tied up in the whirlwind that was his boyfriend, he almost forgot. But now that he remembers, it’s front and center in his mind. “I met someone.”

Ryusui double takes. Looks shocked for a second.

Ukyo’s stomach drops. Did he mess up? “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, I just—,”

Ryusui cuts him off with happy laughter, practically swinging him in his embrace. “No way! Really? You did? When?”

Why was Ukyo ever worried again?

“When I got back, he’s Tsukasa’s friend.” Ukyo manages to catch up with the way Ryusui is swinging their weight around and matches it. They’re practically dancing in his living room now. Tipping from side to side together to a silent beat.

“Yeah? What made you finally break? I bet he’s beautiful.”

Ukyo snorts at that.  _ Beautiful  _ was Ryusui’s favorite word in these topics. “He is. I’m not sure what it was but it’s new for him too,” he says, “he’s usually a hook-up guy, but—.”

“But he stayed the night, didn’t he?”

“Twice.”

Ryusui kisses him,  _ hard _ , and Ukyo nearly loses his balance to fall on his ass if not for the fact that Ryusui had a firm hold on him. His hat does fall off though. Oh, well. He’s seen the hat hair plenty of times. 

He gets his feet under him and drapes his arms over his boyfriends shoulders, helps hold up his own weight before they both tumble to the ground. He kisses him senseless. They make up for Ukyo’s six months of deployment, and the four months before that when Ryusui had to leave on a cruise. 

They part and Ryusui presses their foreheads together. They stay like that, breathing heavy, bodies aligned at every point. Ukyo could cry he feels so happy to have him back in his arms.

“I’m so happy for you,” Ryusui says with the utmost honesty. 

Ukyo’s toes curl and he breathes out a laugh. “I don’t think it’s that serious yet, but he’s okay with our relationship, so we’ll see how it goes.”

“Sounds good to me,” Ryusui kisses him once more, loudly, before unfolding them from the embrace. He snaps his fingers like he just remembered, “I have more gifts!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *yells in happy polyamory*
> 
> If you love RyuHyoKyo as much as I do please leave comments and kudos. <#
> 
> [I might post one more chapter today if you're here for the initial post of this. So check back soon!]


	9. No kiss for me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hyoga invited us for breakfast, wanna go?”
> 
> Ryusui cracks open both eyes this time, looks up at Ukyo with a sleepy but excited look. “I’m invited?”
> 
> “Yeah.” Ukyo uses one hand to push his hair out of his face where it’s caught in the drool. Ryusui closes his eyes and smiles in his drowsy state.
> 
> “I love brunch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No trigger warnings for this chapter ! It's pretty much just fluff, flirting, and healthy communication

The sound of his phone chiming wakes him up this time. Usually, Ukyo keeps it in the kitchen, because no matter what he does he hears the beep or vibration. But last night he and Ryusui had been scrolling through home decor listings together.

Ryusui wanted to _decorate._ After five years of Ukyo being on contract at this apartment and never upgrading past the basics, something about that felt significant.

The arms around his waist are like a vice but he manages to wiggle himself across the bed until he can grab his phone, flopping back onto the pillows to check. Ryusui huffs in his ear but doesn’t wake up.

_[9:42am] **Hyoga:** I’ve gotta be on your side of town. breakfast ? _

Ukyo looks over at Ryusui. He’s got drool on his chin. Ukyo scrunches his face at it but he thinks it’s cute

_[9:45am] **Ukyo:** Ryusui came back last night _

He bites his lip and watches as the three dots appear. Disappear. He taps on the edges of his phone as Hyoga goes back and forth, the three dots giving away his lapse of composure. 

_[9:47am] **Hyoga:** bring him ? _

That… that wasn’t what he was expecting.

But it was like Hyoga said, right? No expectations. It would be easier if he lived like that too.

_[9:47am] **Ukyo:** let me ask him _

He puts his phone on the pillow and sits up, framing Ryusui’s face with both hands.

“Ryusui…” he whispers, squishes his face, “babe. Wake up.”

Ryusui grunts, opens one eye and constricts Ukyo tighter in his arms. “Ermh?”

“Hyoga invited us for breakfast, wanna go?”

Ryusui cracks open both eyes this time, looks up at Ukyo with a sleepy but excited look. “I’m invited?”

“Yeah.” Ukyo uses one hand to push his hair out of his face where it’s caught in the drool. Ryusui closes his eyes and smiles in his drowsy state.

“I _love brunch.”_

* * *

Half an hour later and Ryusui is pulling his car into the parking lot of the western breakfast restaurant Hyoga recommended. Ukyo spots him standing outside the side entrance, he’s leaning against the railings and scrolling on his phone, one arm crossed under his chest. 

“That him?” Ryusui asks.

“Yeah,” Ukyo says. He knows he’s staring a bit, but Hyoga’s got his sleeves rolled up showing off the way his forearm flexes and he just looks really good.

He catches the last second of the look Ryusui sends him. It’s hard to read but he’s got a light, real smile on his face.

“What?”

Ryusui sticks his lip out and shakes his head as he turns off the car. “Nothing.”

Ukyo squints at him and gets pulled into a quick kiss before his boyfriend is out of the car. He unbuckles too and slips out, reconvening with him as they walk through the parking lot.

He doesn’t even think about the natural way his hand slips into Ryusui’s. They’ve never really thought about it, but now with Hyoga’s gaze on them, he feels distinctly aware and isn’t sure what to do about it.

Always the steady presence, Ryusui gives his hand one last reassuring squeeze when they get to the steps before dropping their grip. It leaves Ukyo open to greet Hyoga without a missed beat. 

“Hi,” he breathes, not sure how to act, but with how Hyoga seems to hesitate, even worse off than he is, Ukyo takes the leap.

He reaches his free hand up to Hyoga’s neck to pull him down into a quick kiss. And then the tension seems to break.

“Hey,” Hyoga responds when Ukyo drops back down, he pockets his phone and nods at Ryusui. 

It’s only a little awkward.

“Hello!” Ryusui greets, missing that part entirely. “Hyoga right?” He’s got his big winning smile on and Ukyo is struck, blinks a moment. Remembers himself.

Hyoga doesn’t seem much better off. “Right.”

By the time they place their coffee orders, Ukyo feels like he’s getting the hang of it. He orders for all three of them, getting a proud head shake from Ryusui that he managed to guess his mood of the day, and just a slightly surprised glance from Hyoga that he managed to remember his too. He gets himself a latte. 

Ryusui pulls them into easy conversation, it was what he was good at. Keeping people entertained and in the spotlight of his own energy was his specialty. Ryusui loves people. He loves making people feel good. It’s why Ukyo could always understand why he needed more freedom in their relationship. It was never a matter of being _enough._ It was just that Ryusui always felt so _much_. 

And there was something about watching him use that pull to bring Hyoga into their dynamic without any hesitation.

By the time the coffee is set in front of them, he’s already pulled out Hyoga’s job, his best friendship with Homura, and his gym schedule with Tsukasa. He spent a good few minutes just praising the fact anyone could keep up with their friend in the gym. 

Ukyo watches the exchange fondly, snaking a hand under the table to pat Hyoga on the leg when he looks like he’s getting a little overwhelmed. 

He was pleasantly surprised when a hand looped in with his own fingers.

They order their food and Ukyo manages to get back in the conversation, gets Ryusui talking about himself for a moment. As he goes on a story about his last cruise and the party he threw for an old reporter friend, Hyoga squeezes his hand in thanks before letting it go.

Leaning back, Ukyo takes his latte in both hands and listens to Ryusui tell a story of how a drunk heiress fell into a pool and he had to pull her out and stop another fight at the same time before she could threaten to sue anyone.

The story turned out to be an unplanned present for his reporter friend. It all ended in good faith.

Half way through their meal, Ryusui excuses himself to the restroom.

“You doing okay?” He asks Hyoga. He hasn’t said much except to offer his laughing grins once or twice. It’s enough to let Ukyo know he’s engaged. 

“It’s odd,” he says, “he’s…”

“Loud?”

“Yeah, I didn’t think you liked loud.” 

Ukyo laughs a little at that. “No, but I like Ryusui. He knows when my ears have had enough.”

Hyoga watches him, considers it. “I can’t say I have experience with this but,” he shrugs, “he’s not bad.”

“He’s okay, yeah.” But his smile gives him away and he knows it.

When Ryusui returns he puts both elbows on the table, and Ukyo can tell he’s about to get serious. He was good with that, at reading the mood to know when it was time to say what. Hyoga raises an eyebrow, catching the gesture as well.

“We should all probably talk,” he says, squeezing at his own knuckles so his arms flex. It isn’t anything threatening, he just moves a lot.

Ukyo kicks a leg out to wrap his ankle around Hyoga’s. He likes how natural it feels to be with them both.

“What should we talk about?” Hyoga asks, and it’s the most he’s said to Ryusui in a while.

“How do you feel about all this?” Ryusui says, motioning between him and Ukyo. “Ukyo and I have our own thing sorted out, so, what do you need from us? Do you have questions?”

Hyoga appraises him, leans forward with both arms crossed on the table. It’s similar to Ryusui’s posture, like he’s matching his energy in his own way. 

There’s a lot of that — energy — coming from the both of them, and Ukyo tries not to get too lost in it.

“I think I get it for the most part.” He scratches at his chin. “You two are in a relationship. But he and I are seeing each other. Two separate parts, right?”

Ryusui shrugs. “Right. But sometimes it’ll be time for just the two of us.”

“And then sometimes it’ll be just you and I,” Ukyo tells him to finish. “You don’t have to rush anything or push yourself. We can take this at your pace.”

Hyoga watches him now. He’s got both eyes open so Ukyo knows he’s serious about this. He’s thankful for that. 

“You’re not a side piece,” Ukyo tells him. “You’re in this from my side as much as you want to be.”

“And if I change my mind?”

Ryusui stays quiet and watches them. 

“Then just tell me,” Ukyo says simply, “we’ll work it out until we’re all comfortable.”

They make eye contact and Ryusui winks at him. 

Hyoga looks between them both, and says, “okay.”

“Okay?” Ukyo echoes with a light smile. Hyoga nods.

“Okay!” Ryusui claps his hands. “Sounds good then. Just gotta be open to talking about your feelings man, and it all comes naturally.”

Hyoga cracks a half smile at that and Ukyo raises his hand to ask for the bill.

“Oh, it’s paid for.”

Ukyo and Hyoga both turn to Ryusui. “What?” Ukyo asks.

Ryusui’s got a devious look in his eye and even if Hyoga doesn’t know, Ukyo does.

To Ryusui, this was a date.

And he knows that Ukyo caught on cause he stands up with a laugh. “Come on, let’s free up this table, they’ve got a line coming in.” 

“He really…” Ukyo huffs and Hyoga pats him on the shoulder. Between the two of them he’s never going to get a chance to pay, is he?

He’ll have to fight them on that.

* * *

Outside, Hyoga watches Ryusui fiddle with his keys while they wait for Ukyo to come back from the bathroom. It’s not as awkward anymore, he’s just not good at conversation.

“You’re really just okay with this?” He finally gets the nerve to ask.

Ryusui glances up at him, as if he genuinely wasn’t expecting the question. “Of course, what good would lying do?”

Hyoga shrugs. “Can’t blame me for asking, can you?”

He makes a face at that. “You wanna know how it started?” He asks, waving his hand around so the keys twirl. Hyoga shrugs. “He and I have been together for a while, yeah? And even before he went off to enlist I was having a hard time not falling in and out of love with others. It just.” It’s Ryusui’s turn to shrug. “It’s my thing. I used to feel bad about it but Ukyo never gave me reason to. So when he knew he would be gone for months at a time, he told me he’d rather I just be myself than worry about not cheating.”

Hyoga can see there’s a sour look on his face. It must not have gone so smoothly in the beginning. 

“We had to work out some bugs in how it went over. But in the end it worked out for us. But it was always just me, even if I wanted him to get out there himself.” Ryusui looks up at him with a lopsided grin, “so when he said he finally got a good lay out of a guy, I was happy for him.”

Hyoga chokes on his own spit at that and Ryusui bursts out laughing.

This is seriously going to take some getting used to.

“Really though, I’m grateful that he’s always been so accepting of me,” Ryusui looks inside for a moment. “And now I’m glad he’s putting his own needs first, too. My job doesn’t always make me available either.”

Hyoga nods silently. He’s starting to understand their strange dynamic. But it seems they’ve long since worked out what doesn’t work for them— for which he’s grateful. He doesn’t think he’d be comfortable with all this if he had to be caught up in how they had to work out the guidelines of their own relationship. This he could deal with. He was just… sliding in sometimes. Nothing serious.

“Let me get your number.”

Ryusui looks shocked. And honestly, Hyoga isn’t really sure where it came from either. But it makes sense to him, if the whole point was to communicate, he should be able to on all fronts, right?

* * *

The restaurant is busy by the time Ukyo leaves the men’s room. He’s glad they parked out the side so he doesn’t have to wrestle his way through the line out front. 

They’re both leaning against the bannisters of the stairs going down to the parking lot. They look casual, relaxed. Ukyo is grateful that they’re getting along so easily. 

He stops for just a second and takes in the sight, feels a warmth in his chest at the thought of it all.

Even if Hyoga isn’t quite there yet, the fact that he’s _here_ , that he invited them both out, and had this discussion on a random Sunday. 

Ukyo feels really good about it. It’s almost too easy.

He joins them and Hyoga announces that he’s got a class to teach soon so he has to run. He walks them back to their car.

“I’ll text you later,” he says, and leans down to give Ukyo a quick kiss. 

Ukyo hums in response, holding onto the car door.

“What? No kiss for me?”

They both look over at Ryusui with mixed degrees of shock. Ukyo’s mostly just surprised he didn’t see it coming.

But Hyoga.

Ukyo doesn’t think he’s ever seen him lose his composure this much. 

He laughs, using the hand he already has on his cheek to tilt his jaw shut. “That’s Ryusui for you,” he says under his breath.

“No? Well, maybe next time then” Ryusui gives him a bold wink and slides into the driver's seat. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments and kudos it keeps me from shriveling like a prune <33


	10. He's kind of glad he made them laugh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I proof read this once or twice but honestly I know there's probably so many typos. Sorry about that.
> 
> Thank y'all for putting up with it. 
> 
> tw for this chapter : mention of knives, theft, and other crime, mentioned sex, Hyoga being shady, Tsukasa being a struggling gay
> 
> I'm sorry Tsukasa you'll have your time soon I swear

“I need five of these aluminum sheets, too.”

Without another word, Tsukasa grabs five of the two-by-one meter sheets and they rattle in his grip, the sound a loud warble in the otherwise quiet hardware store.

“Couldn’t you have ordered these, Senku?” Gen asks where he’s leaning against the handle of the shopping cart. It’s full of odds and ends of hardware pieces, nothing too heavy yet. Tsukasa struggles with the panels for a second, the loud warbling as he tries to hold them in a comfortable position keeps Senku from responding for a good bit.

They watch as Tsukasa tries fitting them under his arm -- his arm isn’t that long though. In the cart? No, it’s more warbling than before. He notices the way they’re both barely containing their laughter as he looks at the aluminum that’s as tall as he is. He holds them in front of himself for a moment. Tries not to let the embarrassment get to him. 

He settles to lift the sheets up, resting them on his head with one hand. He’s tall enough it shouldn’t hit anyone on the head… he hopes. 

Looking at the other two men and their twisted expressions, he asks, “what?”

They burst out laughing and he’d be more embarrassed if he wasn’t kind of glad he made them laugh.

He ignores that though. 

“C’mon, man,” Senku snorts, “We can leave them at the front for now.”

“Right.” Tsukasa nods a little and the sheets warble. They warble as he walks too but it’s not too bad.

“You were saying, Senku?” Gen pushes him again. “Why didn’t you just order this stuff?”

That has Tsukasa wondering, too. He thinks of his conversation with Ukyo, wonders if it was just an excuse.

“Because funds are limited, I can’t afford the delivery fees for this. They’d all come from different suppliers, too.” He shrugs, but he’s too busy looking at his shopping list to look them in the eye, walks away from them towards the registers. 

Gen hums, pushing the cart with his foot to gain momentum before he starts walking. “But you ordered that glassware the other day.”

They share a look when Senku stumbles a little. “Yeah, those are a specific tempered glass, though.” He sniffs. “Can’t buy them around here.”

Tsukasa isn’t sure what to make of the look Gen gives him. He just carries the noisy aluminum to the front and leaves it with the cashier. Senku guides them through the store for pipes, plywood, cans of paint and plaster. Eventually an employee gives them a flatbed cart but Tsukasa ends up pushing it anyways.

At one point, Senku attempts to push the flatbed.

Keyword:  _ attempts. _

After a minute of watching him nearly run it into the displays, Tsukasa takes over again, pushing it easily through the aisles. 

“And that’s why we have you, Tsukasa!” Senku sounds quite pleased with himself as he says it, patting Tsukasa on the arm. His touch lingers there for just a moment and Tsukasa is pretty sure he’s going to combust. When Senku stops feeling up his bicep, he walks away like that was totally normal for a casual friendship.

Looking up at Gen, Tsukasa feels like he’s going to break into a cold sweat next by the absolutely stupefied look he’s giving his boyfriend. He eventually shakes his head, rubbing at his temple and whispering under his breath. He doesn’t seem  _ mad _ but…

“Sorry,” Tsukasa says lowly when he catches up to Gen with his cart, both of them following Senku. 

“You’re fine,” Gen mutters, “I’m more concerned this can’t be easy on you.”

Tsukasa shrugs, the movement feels heavy. “He’s always like this.”

“Mm,” Gen hums. He’s watching his boyfriend as he prattles off about the difference in materials in what they’re getting next. 

Tsukasa really doesn’t know what to make of it. What to think that Gen isn’t mad, that Senku is still so casual with his touches and obviousness. Wonders if he’s as oblivious as he lets on. The way Gen practically  _ studies  _ them for the rest of their shopping trip puts him on edge. 

He can’t tell if Gen is mad, but he knows that if the mentalist wants to hide an emotion, he can, and will. So, it means nothing. Tsukasa just hopes it won’t lead to Senku telling him that they can’t be friends any longer. 

When they check out, he watches as Senku  _ stresses _ . He doesn’t show it. He hides it as well as his boyfriend can, but he’s known the guy long enough to tell. There’s no way Senku’s math hadn’t been correct as they collected the haul. But it must have been seeing the numbers in front of his eyes that got to him.

Tsukasa himself is more than a little shocked at the numbers that are adding up. The lab’s benefactor was a temporary arrangement until Senku’s upcoming evaluation. Until then, he had a limited budget. If anything went to waste he wouldn’t get it back. And if anything failed, he risked losing the opportunity all together. 

He debates on trying to offer some reassurance. But what could he do? His fingers twitch. He could grab his shoulder maybe? No, physical contact should be avoided. He couldn’t say anything, Senku hated placating comments. There was no worry it would go over the amount either. 

Because as usual, Senku’s math was perfect. Down to the cent. 

As he took his wallet out of his back pocket, Gen moved behind him to start loading the cart, the tips of his fingers grazed the back of Senku’s shirt. It was the magic touch it seemed, because the tension drained from his shoulders, just a little. Enough that he didn’t look like he was about to break a tooth from grinding his jaw. 

Tsukasa moved to help Gen, and soon they were leaving, walking back to Tsukasa’s truck because Gen's little car was nice, but not for moving supplies like this. They drove separately, so Tsukasa followed them back to the lab, tapping on the wheel, feeling incredibly isolated for some reason. 

He turned the music up, sighed, tried not to think too hard about anything. 

When all the supplies were put away in the lab and thanks had been given, plans were made to meet up for lunch to thank him another day since Tsukasa had a training session he was running late for. And that was that. He waved goodbye to them.

In his truck, he sits in the driver’s seat. Rattles his keys. 

The training session had been a lie. He had two hours before he had to be there. But honestly, he couldn’t keep that up anymore. Senku could keep flirting all he wanted, but Tsukasa couldn’t bring himself to return it. Not while knowing he was in a relationship, and certainly not with Gen  _ right there. _

What even went through Senku’s head sometimes? 

Tsukasa starts the car. Grabs the steering wheel. Sits there.

With a growl, he hits his head against it a few times, the truck’s horn scaring a couple girls walking past. He can’t bring himself to care.

His phone chimes in the cup holder where he left it before he unloaded his truck. 

Fumbling with it, he checks the message.

_ >> _ **_Unknown number:_ ** _ Hey. It’s Gen. _

___

  
  


The bike’s engine cuts off and leaves them in dead silence. Hyoga waits for Homura to swing her leg around and get off the back, keeping his weight in place to center the bike for her. She leans down to check her wig in the bike’s mirror, there’s no pink showing from under the basic, black bob cut. She’s long since mastered it, but she checks every time.

“Ready?” He asks, getting off the bike as well. They left the helmets behind, they got in the way too much for what they had to do. 

“Yep,” She pulls her own hood up. The matte black they wear blends into the night, he pulls up his mask and she does the same. “Let’s go, we have about half a mile to the target. Did you memorize the plans I sent you?”

“Of course,” he confirms as they start walking. He pockets the bike key, just the one. He left his keyring behind, it made too much noise. “I always do.”

“Good,” She nods, he can tell she’s nervous.

“Hey,” He elbows her, gently. “We do this all the time. Relax.”

Her face is mostly hidden but he can tell by the way her eyes are set on the road ahead of her that she’s making a face. There’s no cars for miles. The night is dark, it’s a crescent moon. The only light comes from the city stretched out below them.

“No, we don’t,” she sighs, “we do petty theft, rough people up for debts, and fuck with rich people’s shit. We’ve never done  _ this _ before.”

Hyoga shrugs. Hands in his pockets. He agrees with her, that’s why he has extra knives strapped to his thigh, and took a few extra rounds with Tsukasa in the gym this last week to make sure his hand-to-hand skills were up to par with whatever he could face.

And nothing would be tougher than Tsukasa. 

He managed to knock his friend on his ass once on Thursday. A lucky hit, really, but reassurance either way that he was fine to take on this job.

Their client assured them there would be no guns. Tasers, sure, but they can prepare for that much. 

“Distract me?” She asks, the slightest pitch upwards giving away her nerves.

He frowns. “With what?”

“Mm,” she kicks at a rock. “Did you ever hook up with that Ukyo kid again?”

He smiles a laugh. Licks his lips under his mask. He doesn’t look at her to see her reaction when he says, “yeah you could say that.”

“Oh?”

He debates on how much to tell her. She’s already worried about him getting too attached. If she knew that Ukyo had a significant other, would she worry more, or less? Would Ryusui be the buffer between casual and too serious that she needs to not doom spiral about his own vulnerability? 

She always worries about him more than herself. Even if he doesn’t totally get why.

“We’ve been seeing each other.”

“Seeing each other?” She stops for just a second, he can hear her boots in the gravel on the road. There’s still no cars for miles, won’t be until three AM when the security shift changes at their target up ahead. They had plenty of time. So he stops, scuffs his boots in the gravel too. “He’s your  _ boyfriend _ now?”

He inwardly and outwardly cringes at the word. “It’s not that serious.” He thumbs at his nose. He hasn’t been in a relationship since  _ Homura  _ and him tried that out. Sure, he liked being around Ukyo. But commitment—

“Oh,” she looks less shocked then, her face going back to her neutral expression as she walks past him. “You’re just dating then.”

Letting out his breath so that it’s silent, he takes a few strides to catch up with her before shortening the length of his steps. “Yeah, that’s about right.”

“Wow you never do this. Is he that good a lay?”

“Haven’t you asked me this before? I said yes.”

“I know I just can’t believe it,” she taps at her chin. “You’ve had plenty of good lays, but you never stick around for them.”

He knows he’s going to regret giving her this much of a leg to stand on but he says anyways, “he fucks good, too.”

The way her boots stop in the gravel, again, is loud. He wonders how long it’s going to take them to get to the location at this point as he turns around to face her. 

“What?”

“You let him top you? He’s like, half your size.”

Hyoga blinks at her. “Okay, and?”

She’s looking at him, eyes narrowing, he returns the same look. Spreads his hands to ask what the fuck.

“I’m trying to imagine it.”

Dropping his hands so they smack against his thighs he opens his eyes at her. “Why would you— don’t try to  _ imagine _ it, Homura.”

“Why not? I’ve made you cum before, I know your O face.”

He’s tempted, so tempted, to turn around and get back on the bike. Leave her there. Their relationship was  _ years  _ ago, when they were fresh out of high school and thinking it would make sense to carry on the family business. 

It didn’t work out. She didn’t have a romantic bone in her body and Hyoga struggled with the knowledge that she was dependent on him. One wrong move, and he would ruin her entire emotional state. He couldn’t handle that responsibility. And she didn’t want it either in the end.

So they kept it at just friends, even if they both ended up a little dependent in the end. It was still easier this way.

“Let’s not revisit that right now.” He sighs eventually, turning back around to be the one to initiate getting back on track this time. The sound of her following tells him she’s over it anyways.

“You’ll have to tell him, you know.” She says. “If it gets serious.”

“It’s not—.”

“That serious, you’ve said that already, I get it.” She sighs. “But it’s still more serious than you’ve ever been, Hyoga.”

He doesn’t answer. Sucks on his teeth. Looks at the building looming in the distance. They’re getting closer to the target. 

Homura doesn’t push, she knows as well as he does that he needs to keep his head in the game. Their job tonight wouldn’t be hard, so to say, but it had more risks than they were used to. 

He fixes his mask one more time, adjusts his hood so it won’t come off too easily. His hand goes to his hip, where he’s got his knife in its sheath, ready whenever he needs it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> might I remind you that this is tagged *angst* first for a reason
> 
> dw tho, there's plenty of fluff in the next chapter and more to come


	11. God dammit, Ryusui

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **please read**
> 
> There is sex in this chapter. Nothing too explicit but it's there. 
> 
> If you aren't looking to read that, then I would suggest stopping at "but of course they had started something earlier." Before that point is some emotional development in dialogue. 
> 
> If you're okay with light foreplay and banter, go until Ryusui grabs the lube.
> 
> I debated on writing a more elaborate sex scene here, ngl, but I just don't feel like it fits KIS, at least so far. I wanted to focus more on their dynamic than anything. 
> 
> TW: sex , mentions of STD testing (practice safe sex y'all, get tested multiple times a year)

They have plans today. Ukyo knows they have plans because Ryusui spent all of last evening mapping out what he wanted to do together. 

But hell if Ukyo can remember what those plans are when Ryusui’s kissing his neck with a hand inside his pants first thing in the morning.

It’s lazy so far, heavy petting and lazy kisses. There’s been a few times when Ukyo thought he may have fallen back asleep even. Like now…

The slow kisses come to an end, the hand on his dick slowing down. Ukyo’s about to lift his head to check if he actually did fall asleep this time when Ryusui sinks his teeth into his neck and sucks like they’re a couple teenagers in the backseat of a car.

“Shit,” Ukyo hisses, feels his hips buck upwards. His hands grip tighter on Ryusui’s bare skin, one tangles in his long hair. He pulls without thinking, earning a slight grunt. 

The sound has Ukyo’s attention zoning in even stronger to his boyfriend. It always took  _ work  _ to get any sound out of Ryusui. He knows just how much Ukyo likes it when he’s noisy so he never makes it easy. 

He pops his lips off of Ukyo’s neck and places a wet kiss there before lifting his head. Brings both of his hands up to prop himself above him. He’s now draped over half of Ukyo’s body, hands on either side of his head, looking down at him with the softest fucking smile. Ukyo nearly melts if not for the way he was incredibly turned on just then.

“I have a surprise for you,” Ryusui says, he leans towards the bed side table but eventually just rolls when he can’t reach, grabbing his phone and unlocking it from the position he’s twisted in . 

Ukyo looks at him funny, wondering if he’s really going to show him a meme while he has his dick out. Realizes it wouldn’t be the weirdest thing Ryusui has done after pulling Ukyo’s dick out of his pants. 

He decides to trust that Ryusui might be serious this time and waits. Patiently. Only wiggles his hips once when the sweatpants pull on his skin uncomfortably. Wonders if he should put his dick back in his pants or wait.

“Here! I just got the email last night but you were asleep already.” Ryusui scoots closer until they’re shoulder to shoulder. He holds the phone so it’s over both of their faces. Ukyo holds the other side of the screen, reads the text.

“STD test results,” Ukyo’s stomach swoops in nerves but he scans them quickly. His eyebrows raise, he turns his head to look at him. “All negative. That’s good!”

Ryusui locks his phone and drops it on the pillow before turning his head to look at Ukyo again, too. “Second clean result in six months.” He’s clearly proud, but there’s a tinge of nerves to him. Ukyo can’t place it, but it kinda feels like he’s about to get confessed to all over again. Ryusui hasn’t acted like this since he first asked Ukyo out fresh after their high school graduation. When Ukyo was about to go into basic training and Ryusui wanted to ask for a long distance relationship right off the bat. 

His stomach swoops again, but it’s different this time. “Yeah?” He asks. It’s good but…

“I haven’t had penetrative sex since the last time you were here.” He says, it’s like a whisper, and yeah honestly Ukyo is glad he said the words so quietly, doesn’t think he’d have processed them right if he had to work through the noise level, too. 

He blinks at Ryusui, lifts his head to shake it a little. Not fully understanding. “Huh? But what about that girl?”

Ryusui shrugs and his shoulder knocks against Ukyo’s. He looks uncharacteristically shy. Ukyo thinks it’s cute but he’s confused. “There are other ways to fool around without risking it, you know? I wanted to do this for you.”

Ukyo holds himself up with one elbow. He gets tested for free by the military routinely, so he knows he’s clean, and he’s not too worried about Hyoga. He even said himself that he rarely hooks up with anyone, and gets tested in between -- it came up with the topic of an open relationship. “You didn’t have to do that you know. I’m okay with you having partners.”

Sure, Ryusui’s flings had always been the only worry in that department. But he was used to it. It was a sacrifice he was okay with. Ryusui had never abstained so long in the entire time Ukyo had known him. 

He searches Ryusui’s face where he lays below him, his blonde hair is fanned out on the pillow. His expression, usually so intense in everything he does, is wide open. 

“When I didn’t see you for a year and a half last time,” he takes a huge breath, doesn’t look Ukyo in the eye, “I don’t know it changed something. Sex wasn’t as fun as it used to be and then I saw you again and just thought, shit, I can’t even be with you without worrying that I’d give you something.” He shrugs. “Wasn’t worth it.”

It wasn’t what Ukyo had been expecting. At all. He would have been less surprised by an actual meme more than that. But he’s not mad by any means. This was better than any meme. Any flower or gift Ryusui could have given him. Didn’t know how much he kind of needed to hear it. 

Words don’t feel right in that moment. There’s nothing he can say really, so he just leans down, kisses Ryusui softly, breathing the same air. 

But of course they had started something earlier. Ryusui’s fingers tangle in his hair, holding the back of his head and deepening the kiss. He’s pushed on his back, Ryusui’s arms once again framing his head. 

He disappears for just a moment to slide Ukyo’s pants down his legs. Instinctively, he lets them fall open as Ryusui crawls his way back up, leaving kisses along his stomach as he goes. He knocks his forehead against Ukyo’s upper abs, “God I love the military.”

“Huh?” Ukyo blinks down at him, bleary and confused. He’s very turned on and he can’t really figure out how his job connects right now. 

In response, Ryusui bites at the raise of one of his abs. Ukyo flinches, lifts his leg to kick at Ryusui’s ass. “Ow.”

“I love your gym routine,” Ryusui says into his stomach, “so much.”

Ukyo can’t help but laugh out loud at that. 

“Even if you skip leg day.”

That shuts him up. “I do not!”

Ryusui sits up, takes one of Ukyo’s legs by the back of his knee. His hand wraps around most of his thigh. He shakes it. “Then what is this? Where are the thunder thighs?”

“Ryusui!” Ukyo kicks at him, manages to get him in the shoulder. He knows it hurts because Ryusui pouts a little.

“But it’s okay,” he says, dropping Ukyo’s leg and sliding up to kiss him on the mouth again. Says against his lips. “I love your chicken legs.”

Ukyo’s mouth goes slack, he pushes his head back into the pillows to glare at him. “Watch it or these  _ chicken legs  _ are going to walk to the bathroom and I’ll take care of myself.”

Shoulders shaking in laughter, Ryusui kisses along his jaw, to his ear, whispers. “It’s been so long since I really got to feel you.”

It takes everything in Ukyo to not fall apart right there. He’s effectively distracted from his annoyance.

God dammit, Ryusui. They’ve been together too long, he knows too many of Ukyo’s weak points. He holds Ryusui by the back of his head, tangles his fingers in his hair again and brings him back around to kiss, hard. Their teeth click together. Ukyo bites at his lip.

Then Ryusui sits up, grabs the lube from the closer bedside table -- they have some on both sides -- foregoes the condom and Ukyo licks his lip hard at that thought. He lets his legs fall back open again, but when he leans back over Ukyo, Ryusui swings his leg around to straddle his hips.

_ Oh. _

It was one of those times. 

He’s looking down at Ukyo from where he’s sitting back, ass over Ukyo’s dick, the most annoying grin spreading across his lips. “So are you prepping me or are you watching me?”

He opts to do the work, it’s rare that he gets to do this for Ryusui. They have a dynamic that works for them, and he’s not complaining. Cause it makes the moments they change it up that much better. 

Taking his time, he watches Ryusui above him, takes in every subtle change in his expression. The way his eyebrows furrow, the set in his jaw, the heavy breaths he takes. His whole body is on display like this. Every flex and shudder. He’s a work of art. 

When he finally lowers himself down, grinds skin to skin, they’re both so pent up that it takes all of his self control not to lose himself in the moment.

Though… it wouldn’t be the worst thing, would it?

_ “Fuck,”  _ Ukyo curses.

His hands grip tighter, fingers digging into Ryusui’s thighs where he’s straddling Ukyo’s hips. 

Above him, Ryusui is leaning forward, holding onto the headboard to give him leverage while he rides Ukyo.

He looks down at him, brows furrowed, neck red, hair falling around his face, and smiles like the cheeky dick he is. 

“You good, babe?” One side of his mouth tips up higher than the other. He grinds down and his eyes flutter shut for a second before he gets his bearings back to tease Ukyo again. “Should I stop?”

Ukyo glares at him, moves his hands up to Ryusui’s hips, plants both feet into the mattress, and pulls him down hard as he thrusts upwards.

He watches in satisfaction as Ryusui’s smirk drops open and he moans, loud.  _ Finally _ . A satisfied chill runs down Ukyo’s spine. It’s always a game with him, to see how long it takes him to finally make a sound like that. 

But it’s a fun game, particularly when Ukyo wins.

He works his core until his abs burn like that, keeping his leverage as they both move. There’s more force now, the angle is even better, and as fun as it is to watch Ryusui grind it out on top of him, it’s always better when the give and take is equal.

The headboard creaks above his head when Ryusui switches to one hand, the other reaching down to pump his length. He’s barely holding himself up at this point and the way his arm flexes above Ukyo is an added treat to the view. 

He wants to bite him. It’ll have to wait until after.

Ukyo finishes first grinding up hard into Ryusui, he doesn’t stop, squints past the over stimulation, until his boyfriend is cumming all over his stomach. He feels his abs flex at the feeling.

When they’re done, both sweaty and sore, Ryusui collapses onto his elbows on either side of Ukyo’s head, kisses him hard. 

Ukyo soothes one side of his hip, the other hand coming up to push Ryusui’s hair behind his ear. He’s still inside, flinches a little when they move from how sensitive he is, blinks against the spots in his eyes that it makes. 

“Fuck I missed you,” Ryusui says, face falling into Ukyo’s neck, he lifts himself off before scooting down until he can lay flat on top of him. Ukyo grunts, Ryusui is all solid muscle and he’s  _ heavy.  _

“We’re gonna stick together like this,” Ukyo warns him.

“Perfect then I don’t have to leave you again.”

Ukyo snorts a laugh. “Please don’t make dry cum romantic.”

Ryusui looks up at him where he has his ear pressed to Ukyo’s sternum, gives him a big grin. “Everything I do is romantic, what are you talking about.”

Okay, that’s hard to argue with but Ukyo wasn’t going to just agree. 

“Didn’t we have plans today?” He asks instead, but he’s letting Ryusui play with one hand while the other combs, gently, through his long, sex tangled hair. “You need a haircut,” he observes. 

“Yeah, the mall,” Ryusui says, he wiggles one of his arms under Ukyo’s waist to hug him, it puts his back at a weird angle but he deals with it. “We can do that there, I could probably use a trim.”

“We should move soon then.” Ukyo looks at the clock, it’s almost twelve PM. That was supposed to be morning sex but whatever. They had no pressing commitments. The mall’s open all day, it didn’t matter. 

Ryusui grunts in agreement.

Neither of them move for a while. The clock hits well past noon, and when they peel off of each other to take a shower, Ukyo makes a face at the way they stick together.

Ryusui just gives him another cheeky grin and kisses him. It starts light, playful, before growing more intense. He’s kissing Ukyo hard now, pushing him into the mattress until he makes a sound in the back of his throat. It’s high, and far more breathless than he was expecting.

They don’t take a shower until after one PM and Ukyo makes Ryusui scrub the two layers of cum off his stomach for him. 

He also gets to bite Ryusui back. Right on the deltoid like he wanted to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also I only posted two chapters this time because this one came out so much longer than I was planning and I don't have it in me to write the next. Still really wanted to post tonight so huzzah you get two chapters instead of three. And smut. lmao
> 
> Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated. 
> 
> & if you're 18+ (!) you can come scream at me on twitter @yamatos_chair


	12. Butterflies all over again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is incredible self indulgent. As are the next two chapters. Oh well. 
> 
> Also, I changed the rating on this because there's going to be more explicit moments. Please be mindful.
> 
> TW: i don't think there's anything triggering actually? Innuendo. Kinda. Lmk if I should add something.

They make it to the mall eventually. 

Ryusui gets his hair cut first since the salon he prefers is near the front. He sweet talks the stylist the whole time until she’s blushing red while trying to trim his split ends. Ukyo watches from the next chair over where he’s flipping through a magazine. Thinks it’s cute how Ryusui can make anyone feel special. 

He means everything he says, too. It’s what’s so incredible about it. 

When he’s finished, he really doesn’t look much different but his hair looks softer. Ukyo can’t help but run his fingers through to see for himself.

They’re outside the salon, and the mall isn’t too busy so early on a weekday, so they allow themselves the public displays of affection. 

Ukyo runs his fingers through Ryusui’s hair, finds himself overly enthralled in the moment. Inside, Ukyo can hear the stylists giggling at them. They think it’s cute. He only blushes a little. 

Ryusui’s eyes close and he hums. Leans into Ukyo’s hand. He wants to kiss him so bad but isn’t sure if he’s confident enough to do it while the women inside are watching. 

He does give Ryusui’s hair a good tug though. 

It’s the second time that the element of surprise earns him a grunt from his boyfriend. He opens one eye to glare at Ukyo. The same eyebrow raised sharply and it’s quite the  _ look.  _

His hand closest to Ukyo reaches to tug on his side belt loop. “You trying to give everyone a show?” He says under his breath.

Ukyo bites back a smile. “No, I just really wanted to do that. It’s soft.”

“Mm.” And where Ukyo is embarrassed to initiate public affection, Ryusui thrives. He grabs Ukyo’s wrist before he can tug at his hair again and uses it to pull him in for a kiss.

It’s quick. Light. Nothing crazy. And yet the women inside erupt in surprised gasps.

_ “I knew it. I knew it, see!” _

_ “Oh, it is cute, you’re right.” _

_ “No it’s not, they’re reminding me that I’m single.” _

Ukyo cracks a smile against Ryusui’s lips. It’s returned easily. Then Ryusui is sliding his hand down from his wrist to weave his fingers through Ukyo’s and they’re off.

They go window shopping for a bit. Ukyo needs new clothes, he hasn’t bought anything casual in years and he knows that his fashion looks a bit outdated. Especially next to Ryusui. 

They bicker, but it’s nothing unusual. Ukyo is fine with buying from clearance racks and bargain sales. But Ryusui is insistent on being allowed to spoil him. Doesn’t even want Ukyo to look at the price tag.

“I wouldn’t even know where to start,” Ukyo tells him as Ryusui is tugging him playfully into a sports brand department store. 

“It’s athletic wear, it’s a great place to start!”

“Why do I need expensive gym clothes?” Ukyo drags his feet but follows. Ryusui tugs his arm and tucks it under his own to keep him from running. “Joggers and a t-shirt are all I need.”

Ryusui glares at him. “Yeah but the right joggers and a t-shirt can be sexy as hell. Let me buy you expensive grey sweat pants and don’t question it.”

Ukyo rolls his eyes as dramatically as he can but gives in. He usually does. He knows that Ryusui loves Ukyo, loves money, and loves spending money on Ukyo in that order. It’s an easy way to make Ryusui happy, and really Ukyo should be used to it by now. But he hasn’t gone shopping with him in a while so he tries anyway.

And that’s how it turns into Ukyo letting Ryusui shove clothes at him for a few hours to try on. Really, Ryusui would buy him everything he looks moderately good in, but Ukyo manages to talk him out of that. Agrees to pick his favorite things without looking at the price tag. And the rest goes back on the hanger.

An hour later and the sports wear shopping bag has been joined by a few shoe boxes, some lower name brand jeans, and now they’re searching for new dress shirts since Ukyo’s had a hole eaten through by moths. Ryusui shoots Francois a text about that when he hears it. A promise to have his apartment checked for that in particular. 

Ryusui shoves him into the dressing room, layden with night wear. He waits for him to try everything on. Talks about how they’ll have to go out. Maybe go to a club again. It’s been a while since they’ve gone out like that together.

Ukyo is on the fourth outfit Ryusui’s asked to see him in. A dark blue long sleeved shirt, skin tight. With a laced back. It’s very different from anything he’d pick for himself.

“Hang on,” Ryusui holds up two fingers from where he’s checking the outfit over. He motions with them, “turn around again.”

Ukyo twists before fully turning so he can see the back.

“Yeah, hang on let me help you with this one.” 

Confused, Ukyo let’s Ryusui herd him back into the dressing room and shut the door. 

The lock hasn’t even fully clicked into place and Ryusui’s shoving him against the wall, mouth hot on his, and hands gripping his waist tightly to pull their hips flush together.

He should have expected it really but Ukyo still scrambles to find purchase as he returns the kiss. His hands grip Ryusui’s biceps, pull him closer, before wrapping fully around his shoulders. He lets his fingers tangle in Ryusui’s soft hair, tugging gently. 

The kiss is hot. Tongue and teeth and Ryusui’s wide hands wrapped around his waist to pull him impossibly closer. One hand slides to his ass, gets a grip through the skin tight jeans.

Fuck, maybe they  _ should  _ have stayed in bed. 

Ukyo wants to continue this. Wants to fuck around in a dressing room like they’re teenagers all over again. But they don’t. The kiss slows. The rushed, heated desperation lowering to a sensual simmer. 

It’s better anyways. If they fooled around here, he couldn’t try to get Ryusui loud like he wanted to.

His hands slide down until they’re flat on Ryusui’s chest. Smoothing across his pecs. Sure Ryusui is thankful for the military training keeping Ukyo in shape, but Ukyo himself should buy a Christmas present for the Nanami family personal trainer.

They stop kissing and press their foreheads together. Eyes still closed and just existing in each other’s space. 

Ukyo feels butterflies all over again. Ever since Ryusui confessed his intentions earlier, it felt like a return to their honeymoon phase. 

“I love you.” He says, quietly.

Ryusui folds him into his arms even tighter. Tucks his face against Ukyo’s shoulder. He lifts his head for just a moment to say in his ear, “I love you, too.”

He ends up buying that outfit.

* * *

“Ukyo.”

He looks up from the cologne display where he was debating between two different scents. He isn’t even sure if he should ask Ryusui to spend the money or not. Why was a  _ smell  _ so expensive? Who decided these things?

Ryusui is standing across the walkway from him, in the women’s lingerie department. 

And he’s holding up a piece of said lingerie, the look on his face suggests he thinks himself brilliant for this one. 

Ukyo eyes the piece. It’s pink lace and looks entirely not built for his body at all.

“No.”

“Please.”

“Ryusui.” Ukyo glances around them, thankful no one is close enough. “I don’t have tits.”

He frowns. “Sure you do, they’re just not women’s tits.” He looks at the outfit (could you call that an outfit?) in his hands, looks imploringly at Ukyo. “Please. It would look so good.”

“ _ I’m not wearing that.” _

“Fine.” Ryusui stomps away like a child who was just told he couldn’t have any more candy. Ukyo goes back to looking at the cologne and decides he would make Ryusui buy him both just for that.

“WAIT!” 

Ukyo jumps out of his skin. Ryusui’s shout wasn’t even necessary for typical hearing, let alone Ukyo’s condition. 

He grabs the two boxes and goes to find him. He’s still in the lingerie department and Ukyo feels the dread coming on.

“Okay, okay, what about this?” Ryusui is pointing at a mannequin wearing a black lace corset and boyshort combo with garters. There’s no bra attached. “No tits required!”

Ukyo nearly drops the cologne bottles. He scrubs a hand at his face, kinda wishes he wore a hat today so he could hide under it. A woman is a few meters away and she heard the whole thing. He can hear her talking on the phone under her breath.

“I can’t believe--.”

“It would look so good, look I remember your suit measurements from last year, right, this would definitely fit.” Ryusui is going through the display of size options. “Please.” He looks up at Ukyo, his eyes wide, excited, a little desperate. He says a little lower this time, “Please.”

Ukyo looks at him. Looks at the mannequin. Looks back at Ryusui and stares. 

“I bet Hyoga would like it, too.”

At that, Ukyo feels his face flush in heat. Because apparently it’s not enough for him to feel brand new with Ryusui today, but he also has to encounter his new found crush on Hyoga at the same time and--

_ “Fine!”  _ He relents. “You’re buying me these colognes. I’m getting the bigger bottles, too.” And he turns around to go grab them. Behind him he hears Ryusui whoop in victory. 

Ukyo  _ knows  _ his ears must be bright red and he really does wish he wore his hat as he shoves the smaller size of cologne on the shelf and grabs the largest size of each. He grabs the roller of the other one he kind of liked, too, because fuck it.

* * *

They get a late lunch at the food court and sit across the small table from each other, ankles tangled together as they eat. That warm butterfly feeling hasn’t gone away for Ukyo all day, and he thinks the same might go for Ryusui.

He knows he has to ask his question, but he really isn’t happy about it. Chewing the inside of his lip, he watches Ryusui shovel his own food into his mouth. 

He looks up at Ukyo for a moment and immediately catches onto the look on his face. “What’s up, babe?”

Ukyo feels his ears go warm again. Shit, he hasn’t been like this with Ryusui in years. 

“How long until you have to go back to work?” He asks, biting through the words even though he really doesn’t want the answer. He needs to know.

Ryusui chews on his food, swallows, chases his food around his plate with his chopsticks. “I have to go back next week it seems.” He sucks on his teeth. “I’m not sure how long for, but I’m hoping that they let it be a short trip this time.”

It sucks, really, how often Ryusui has to go back and forth to work whenever Ukyo is in town. After seven years of it, he had to admit it’s starting to get old. Not that he would ever take that out on Ryusui, though. It was just as much his fault that his career had him gone six to nine months out of a year. And he had to stay close to base when he was off, so moving closer to the Nanami conglomerate headquarters hadn’t turned out to be the best idea just yet. 

Something had been brought up by his superiors last time, though. Something he’s been debating on telling Ryusui. He doesn’t want to get his hopes up when he hasn’t even made his decision. 

But maybe he should say something. Let them make this decision together for a change. 

“I have the option to retire from the sub next year.” Ukyo tries to be nonchalant about it, but he can hear his own voice shake. Ryusui drops his chopsticks and one rolls to the floor. He curses, bending down to pick it up and tucking it in a napkin.

“What?” He asks, there’s a tinge of hope in his voice but it’s mostly overshadowed by shaky confusion. “I thought they wanted you for a few more years?”

Ukyo nods, he’s chasing a mushroom around the broth in his bowl, not really planning to pick it up. “They worked with me to enlist past the initial three years because of my specialized hearing. And they don’t  _ want  _ me to leave the sub, but one of my superiors brought it up that I should be eligible to be grounded already. I guess they were trying to keep me active as long as possible.”

Ryusui’s brow furrows as he thinks about that. “Wait, so they just weren’t going to promote you? But they wanted to use your skills?”

“Yeah, basically.”

“That’s bullshit.”

“It would have caused a lot of problems, which is why that superior made them bring it up.”

“What does it mean for you then? You said it means you're grounded…?”

“It means that I have the option to work from a base on land. No more sonar work.” He eventually drops his chopsticks on his napkin. The topic is too heavy for him, he’s lost his appetite. He’s not looking at Ryusui but he can feel his eyes on him. “I wouldn’t have to live on base either. I could commute.”

“And… how do you feel about that?” It’s tentative. He’s trying hard to control his own tone to not give away to Ukyo how excited he is. But Ukyo can tell. He can’t always judge a tone by it’s mood, but with Ryusui, he knows everything. He knows how every change of emotion affects his voice. 

Right now, he can practically  _ feel _ the way Ryusui is holding back hope.

So Ukyo makes sure to be as honest as he can be. 

“I don’t know.” He huffs out a long breath, directs it upwards and it ruffles his hair. He brushes his fingers through his fringe to fix it. It gives his hands something to do. “I’m worried. Because I’ve heard things that would have ended up very bad if gone unnoticed. I worry for my crew if they don’t have me. And even for disaster relief, I’ve heard people from under rubble when no one else could. I’m scared that if I retire…”

“Hey, Ukyo.” Ryusui’s leaning forward now, elbows on the table. He slides one hand forward, palm up. It’s automatic the way he meets the gesture, their fingers tangling together easily. “You can’t hold yourself responsible for that.”

Ryusui squeezes his fingers and Ukyo returns it. Lets his thumb brush the backs of his knuckles. 

“I know, it’s why I’m considering it.” He looks up at Ryusui and Ukyo can tell that he’s holding his breath. “I’d be able to put in a transfer request, too.”

“Which means…?”

“Which means I could live anywhere I wanted if there’s a base. I’d be accepted anywhere,” he laughs and it’s bitter. 

He knows that his skill is something that makes him irreplaceable, but sometimes it really did wear on him. It didn’t get past him that they would have kept him in a place they could deploy him as needed for as long as possible if no one said anything. 

Ryusui is watching him, he looks like he’s barely containing himself. Ukyo doesn’t have much to say so he asks, “What do you think?”

It’s the magic words apparently. Because that’s all it takes for Ryusui to lean forward, practically laying across the table when he pushes his tray away just enough. He’s got one of Ukyo’s hands in both of his.

Letting out a dramatic noise, he says, “For the love of everything, take the promotion.” He sounds strained like he can’t emphasize it enough. His head falls forward until it’s resting on his own arms. Ukyo reaches with his free hand to pick Ryusui’s hair out of his food. 

He grabs some napkins before it can get too sticky.

“You’re getting sauce in your hair.”

“Move in with me.”

“Okay.”

Ryusui’s head snaps up, hitting Ukyo’s hand. He looks surprised at that. 

“What?” Ukyo returns with a look of his own. “You really thought I’d put up a fight?”

“It was just… so easy.” 

“You calling me easy?” Ukyo twists the napkin around the bit of his hair that’s sticky. It cleans fine.

Ryusui smirks something wicked but stays on topic. “I thought I was going to have to bribe you to leave the sub.”

“Yeah, well,” Ukyo fixes his hair one last time before dropping the napkin on his own plate. He wasn’t going to eat anymore. 

“So, this is happening then?” Ryusui’s practically vibrating, the hope finally rising in his voice as his grin grows wide. “No more deployment?”

Nodding, Ukyo returns it with a slow smile of his own. “From next year, yeah. Not unless there are emergencies. But I might try to keep working disaster relief if I could.”

“Fine by me.” Ryusui is then pulling him up out of his chair and folding him into a crushing hug. People around them jump at the way their chairs scrape across the linoleum floor. Ukyo himself winces at the noise. He lets Ryusui squeeze the hell out of him. Then he’s suddenly dropped and Ryusui is scooping up half the shopping bags. “Let’s go. I can’t do this.”

“Huh?” He blinks at him but helps to pick up the other bags. 

“I need to have my way with you, let’s get the hell out of here.” And then he’s running off, nearly forgetting to throw away his own tray before turning around sharp to grab it with one hand.

Ukyo bursts out laughing at that, takes up his own tray to take to the bin. And then they’re on their way out of the mall. He manages to ignore what people say behind him. Focuses on the excitement vibrating out of Ryusui. 

Outside Ryusui’s throwing his hands in the air. The shopping bags making a racket. Ukyo checks and confirms that he’s got the cologne bottles himself so he doesn’t worry about it. 

“What a beautiful day!” Ryusui’s shouting when they’re through the doors. He attracts a lot of attention, it’s later in the day now, their lunch having been at more of a dinner hour. The mall is starting to get busy and a group of girls in high school uniforms giggle to themselves as Ryusui makes his grand gesture. 

He snaps his fingers. “Right, I’ll have to tell Francois immediately.” Somehow he manages to get all of the bags into one hand and Ukyo stares at the way it emphasizes the veins in his forearms. “I’ll have them start looking at condos near the base up there. You have a preference?”

Shaking his head, Ukyo follows with him towards the car. “Not really.” His preference is simple. But it would be easier for him to go with whatever grand plan Ryusui has than ask him to down size to minimalism. 

“Great!” Ryusui sends the text with one hand and pockets his phone again. Throws his arm around Ukyo’s shoulders. He doesn’t have as many bags so he shifts them all to one hand and returns the motion with an arm around Ryusui’s waist. “But uh, what about Hyoga?”

“Mm,” Ukyo hums. Feels his ears go red. He hasn’t heard from him all day, he should text him once they get in the car. “I guess we have time to work that out. It’s still early.”


	13. Since when was his life this good?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, self indulgent.
> 
> Tw: mentions of injury, sexual situations, implied sex

> **_Officer Yo:_ ** _ Man, you fucked up this time. You left blood on the scene. _

_ >> _ **_Hyoga:_ ** _ Isn’t that why we pay you? _

_ > _ **_Officer Yo:_ ** _ You don’t pay me enough for this, man. There was a whole ass knife and the security head was asking for it. _

_ >> _ **_Hyoga:_ ** _ Then lie. _

_ > _ **_Officer Yo:_ ** _ Yeah yeah, I already cleaned it up.  _

_ >> _ **_Hyoga:_ ** _ Good. We’ll transfer the money when the investigation dies down. _

_ > _ **_Officer Yo:_ ** _ Fuck no, that could take months. I want that money or I’m turning in the evidence. _

_ >> _ **_Hyoga:_ ** _ Have I mentioned Homura is friends with a reporter? Would be a shame if she accidentally got a hold of certain screenshots. _

_ > _ **_Officer Yo:_ ** _ Fuck you man. I’ll wait until next month and that’s it. _

* * *

It’s yet another morning of Ryusui and Ukyo refusing to get out of bed. They’re looking at some condo listings that Francois’s already sent over. Ukyo thinks it’s a little soon, but should have expected it with how efficient they work. 

He feels like he should be more nervous about it, but lets Ryusui’s excitement calm him down. Ukyo generally agrees to everything Ryusui suggests until he catches on.

“You can’t just say yes to whatever I say!”

“I’m not saying yes to whatever you say.” Ukyo pouts at him. It’s a lie. 

He points at Ukyo’s lower lip. “You stop that.”

“What? You have good ideas,” Ukyo shrugs. They’re not on top of each other for once, so the motion doesn’t reach him.

“My ideas  _ are  _ good, amazing even, but,” he stops to roll onto his side, propped up on his elbow. “I need your input not your constant agreement.”

“Maybe I want to agree to everything you say.” Ukyo says. It comes out more coy than he was planning and Ryusui catches on  _ fast.  _

He tosses his phone over his shoulder, it bounces off the bed and tumbles to the floor. Ukyo barely holds back his laughter. “Oh yeah? Everything I say?”

He’s way too excited, Ukyo realizes, he bites his lip and wonders if he should retract his statement but Ryusui’s already creeping a hand under his t-shirt. 

“I mean, why not?”

“Isn’t Hyoga supposed to be here, in like, an hour?” Ryusui asks, shuffling closer and pulling Ukyo into his space. “What if I try to keep you to myself all night, you going to agree to that, too?”

“I’m not worried,” Ukyo flicks his ear. He’s now more or less underneath Ryusui, his shirt is pulled up to his armpits, stomach exposed. “You’ve been talking about laser tag for weeks.”

With a devious smile on his face, Ryusui shrugs, leans closer into Ukyo’s space. “I don’t mind being a little late.”

An hour later and Ukyo is opening the door to let Hyoga in. His shirt’s on backwards, pupils blown, face still flushed, and hair askew. He knows he looks a hot mess but he’s already left his other… person… waiting at the door for a few minutes and doesn’t want to keep him out there any longer. 

Hyoga’s leaning against the door frame, appraises him with one eye open. The other turned away. He’s got a black face mask pulled down to his chin.

“Hey,” Ukyo says breathlessly, he can tell his voice was too high pitched, too. “Sorry we’re running late. You mind coming in?”

“No…” Hyoga carries the word as he steps inside, looking Ukyo up and down. “Did you just-- were you just fucking?”

“Uh,” Ukyo starts. Shit, did he fuck up? He didn’t stop to consider that Hyoga might not be ready to have their relationship thrown at his face like this. Would he get upset? Jealous? Ukyo isn’t sure how to handle that, his brain is still melted from his orgasm. 

Ryusui steps out of their bedroom in nothing but his boxers. Ever one to simply not care, he comes to the living room to greet Ukyo’s guest. “Hey, man,” he’s got his winning smile on but his hair is sticking up in the back from when Ukyo was pulling on it for dear life. There’s a bite mark on his shoulder. Ukyo bites his lip to hold back a cringe. “Sorry, my fault. We still have to shower, if that’s all right.”

Hyoga looks Ryusui up and down. Even from the side, Ukyo can  _ feel  _ how intense that gaze is. Especially with his eyes open the way they are, Ukyo’s truly concerned for a moment that the whole thing is about to turn--

“You smell like sex,” Hyoga tells Ryusui, “please go shower, Tsukasa’s repressed ass won’t be able to handle it.”

Bursting out laughing, Ryusui pats him on the bicep (the little squeeze he gives doesn’t get past Ukyo). “Right? Poor guy, Ukyo told me all about--, shit what happened to your face?”

Concern replaces the playful grin Ryusui had on. Now that Hyoga is inside the door, his posture, nor his hair, can hide the butterfly bandages on his cheek peeking out from the edge of the mask. A long slice running underneath his cheek bone. 

“What--?” Ukyo gapes, pulling him around so he can see better. “Are you okay?”

“It’s fine--.”

“Holy shit, that looks bad,” Ryusui’s right behind Ukyo, voice riddled with the worry Ukyo feels in his gut.

He wishes he could be a little more grounded just then but he’s still lightheaded. Not fully able to form words.

“I’m fine,” Hyoga grips him by the arm that’s clinging to his jacket. The other hand fingers at the cut, before shaking his fringe over his forehead until it’s partially hidden. Ukyo huffs, pushes his hair back to look better. Pulls the mask down a bit more. It looks well treated at least. “It’s just a training accident.”

“Yeah?” Ryusui asks. “Spears, right?”

“Spears,” Hyoga confirms, finally taking Ukyo’s hand completely to keep him from trying to turn his face. “We let one of our more advanced students try with a real spear head. He got in a lucky hit. It happens.”

“It looks clean at least,” Ukyo mentions. Ryusui’s hand grazes his back to reassure him.

“It was,” Hyoga agrees, “it was a normal spear at least. I’m fine.”

Ryusui is letting it go faster than Ukyo can. “Right, good thing it wasn’t spinning then,” he says, presses on Ukyo’s lower back for one moment before pulling back. “I’m gonna shower then.”

And with that he’s turning to walk back to the only bathroom in the apartment. There are bright red scratches on his back but thankfully no blood. Ukyo checks his nails and wonders if he should clip them. Studies them longer than he needs to avoid eye contact.

With the focus back on the state they’re in, Ukyo’s feeling freshly embarrassed all over again.

Hyoga gets his attention by tugging on his shirt, pulling him close before wrapping his arms around Ukyo’s waist. Surprised and still dazed, Ukyo blinks up at him just in time for Hyoga to place a kiss to his lips. 

It’s heavy, unrushed. Warm. Ukyo’s arms wrap around to his back, dragging along Hyoga’s sides as he goes. He feels the strength of his body underneath his t-shirt. Slides his hands underneath his jacket to keep the contact. He lets his thoughts stay liquidy for now, enjoying the kiss. Enjoying the contact.

Enjoying Hyoga.

He didn’t even realize he had missed him until just then. They hadn’t seen each other since brunch on Sunday. And he hadn’t  _ been with  _ Hyoga since Friday morning after he’d agreed to try things out. It’s now Wednesday and Ukyo is realizing how much he’s craving this man.

“Shit,” Ukyo curses against his lips, Hyoga huffs a laugh.

“What?”

“We’re already late.” He sighs, leans his head into Hyoga’s chest. Lets himself enjoy the feeling of Hyoga’s physique in his post orgasm haze. “But I really want a round with you.”

That gets Hyoga’s chest shaking with silent laughter. Ukyo smiles from where he is with his cheek pressed into his pecs. 

“I didn’t know you were this insatiable,” Hyoga murmurs. 

Pulling back Ukyo squints up at him. “Did three rounds mean nothing to you?”

Hyoga stops laughing, looks down at him and raises one eyebrow in challenge. Ukyo swallows.

Twenty minutes later, Ryusui is walking into the bedroom again, fully dressed and smelling like one of Ukyo’s new colognes. He’s got his towel in his hands.

“All right, Ukyo, your--.” He cuts himself off when he sees what’s before him. 

Ukyo… Ukyo’s laid out on his back on the bed. Staring at the ceiling. Pants around his ankles. 

The room is spinning. 

Hyoga walks back into the room behind Ryusui sipping from a glass of water in his hands, swishing it in his mouth before swallowing. 

He nods at Ryusui, takes another sip of water and leaves the rest on the bed stand for Ukyo.

“Damn.” Ryusui looks at them, “Without me?”

Ukyo and Hyoga both turn to look at him, Ukyo can barely see straight at this point. His thoughts are effectively blank and his skin is buzzing happily. 

“Next time,” he says without thinking. Hyoga looks at him sideways. 

Ryusui lights up. Ukyo might be struggling to name colors, but he can tell he’s excited. Even more so when he parrots, “‘Next time?’”

Ukyo blinks at the ceiling, turns to look at Hyoga who shrugs. 

Yeah, his brain can’t do anything with that information right now. 

“Sweet.” Ryusui grins. “Damn, you’re fucked out.” He throws the towel so it lands over Ukyo’s face. “Go shower, you smell.”

Ukyo huffs. Pulls the towel off his face. Forces himself to sit up.

He blinks back at how spots form in his vision.

He looks at his boyfriend, pulling on his expensive watch and shaking it so it sits right on his wrist. Then he turns to Hyoga who’s sitting on the edge of the bed, scrolling his phone. His other person.

Since when was his life this good? 

* * *

  
  


The other three are already there when they finally pull up to the laser tag arena in Ryusui’s car. Gen is sitting up on the barrier wall that leads into the parking garage. It’s pretty high up and Ukyo wonders how he got there. His legs are dangling down so his feet fall past Senku’s shoulders. Senku’s got his arms wrapped around them and crossed, using Gen’s ankles as support. Tsukasa is leaning against the wall beside them. 

He’s got the softest look on his face as Senku tells him some enthusiastic detail. Gen is working on pulling Senku’s hair into a ponytail, watching his boyfriend with evident fondness. Ukyo thinks Senku looks rather happy there in between the two.

Beside him, Ryusui whistles low under his voice. “You weren’t kidding.”

“Nope,” Ukyo mutters, a little bitter about it. Those three were a mess.

“Those three do look good together, though.”

“Huh?” Hyoga looks over at Ryusui from the other side of Ukyo. “The three of them?” he muses, turning back to look at the trio waiting for them. Tsukasa spots them first, waves at them. The motion stops Senku mid tangent, and he waves too as Gen ties off his ponytail with success. It looks good.

“Yeah,” Ukyo shrugs, “Maybe I’m biased but it’s just a thought I had.”

“They have to work it out themselves though,” Ryusui finishes for him before he starts to wave back enthusiastically. 

Right it’s been a while since he saw them, too.

Hyoga hums. They watch as Gen taps Tsukasa on the shoulder. And then all three of them practically erupt in conspiratorial laughter when Tsukasa plucks Gen off the wall and sets him on even ground like he weighs nothing.

“Okay, I see it.” Hyoga says.

“Right?” Ryusui shoots them a quick smile before bounding over and practically tackling Senku in a boisterous hug.

“They’re close?” Hyoga asks.

“Yeah,” Ukyo tells him “Ryusui and Tsukasa are how we all met actually.”

Gen and Ryusui are exchanging introductions, giving slight bows in greeting before they catch up. When they do Ryusui has practically inflated larger than life from the social interactions. 

“Sorry we were late! Ukyo and Hyoga were--.”

“Ryusui.” Ukyo hangs his head, pinches his nose bridge. They just get a sly look from Senku and Gen as Tsukasa looks… rather blank about it. Ukyo’s kind of grateful for that. 

“They all know by now, it’s no big deal, Ukyo, am I right?” Ryusui grins at him, he pats Tsukasa on the back and the man reacts on habit. He moves his arms in time to catch Ryusui as he jumps onto his back. Tsukasa takes the momentum to start moving. “How’s your sister, man?”

The other four walk behind them. Senku and Gen take up an equal pace like it’s habit, hands slipping together like magnets. 

Ukyo gets the thought in his head and acts before he can overthink it. 

He slides his fingers in between Hyoga’s and receives a curious look as the grip is returned. And then they’re holding hands and Ukyo feels those new crussh butterflies all over again.

Shit, it’s been a while since he’s felt this way and he’s got his stomach in backflips over  _ two men  _ this time. 

“How do Tsukasa and Ryusui know each other?” Hyoga asks. It catches Ukyo off guard but he realizes it shouldn’t since he does seem to have a very surface level friendship with Tsukasa.

“You know about his sister right? Tsukasa’s?” Senku confirms.

“Mirai, right?”

“Mm,” Senku says rolling a kink out of his neck, “he had to start taking sponsorships when her treatments got too expensive and Ryusui’s family jumped at the chance to advertise.”

Ukyo’s arm tugs when Hyoga stops dead in his tracks. He’s got his face mask on to avoid questions about the slice on his cheek so the way his eyes are widened over the top edge is almost comical. 

“What?” Senku asks.

Ukyo belatedly realizes his own mistake. He forgot to tell Hyoga that Ryusui--

“Tsukasa is sponsored by the Nanami conglomerate,” Hyoga says, disbelief heavy in his voice.

“Yeah,” Senku looks at him sideways before turning to Ukyo in confusion.

“Oh dear, it seems Ukyo forgot to mention that, didn’t you?” Gen’s got a hand covering his mouth but it’s clear that he’s smiling. His eyes look too amused. Gen’s never met Ryusui either, which means Senku or Tsukasa must have filled him in already.

Shit.

“Ah,” Ukyo adjusts his hat. “I guess I forgot to mention that.”

Hyoga’s looking at him like someone just pulled the rug out from under his feet. Ahead of them, Tsukasa and Ryusui have put plenty of distance that they don’t even realize they all stopped. Ukyo can hear them talking about Mirai and discussing setting up another sponsorship meeting.

“Forgot to mention that Ryusui is affiliated with one of the wealthiest families in Japan?” He almost sounds upset. Ukyo can’t blame him. It would be unsettling to anyone, really.

“I’m sorry,” he squeezes his hands to show his earnesty. “I’m used to everyone knowing.”

“He’s not just affiliated, though,” Senku corrects him before he starts walking again. He’s unbothered by it all while Gen looks way too satisfied with Ukyo’s slip. “He’s the heir to the company.”

Ukyo’s pretty sure he sees Hyoga’s soul leave his body. He grimaces with chagrin, tugging on their hands to get his attention, Ukyo steps into his space. Hyoga glances down at him, still wide eyed. But it’s hard to read just how he feels. He’s still staring at the two up ahead.

“I really am sorry, I didn’t realize,” Ukyo murmurs. “Usually people already have an idea of who he is.”

“I’m dating the boyfriend of one of the richest people in the country.”

That has Ukyo’s ears  _ burning. _

It wasn’t a clear label of “boyfriends” and Ukyo already  _ knew  _ they were dating but even still, there was something about Hyoga saying it himself. Like even he was moving towards a more serious place for their relationship.

The excitement was quickly replaced with worry when he realized this could very understandably ruin that.

“Hey,” he tugs at his hand again to get him to hold eye contact. “I know it’s gotta be a shock, but Ryusui is…” not chill. No. He has no chill and flaunts his money openly, Ukyo knows that well enough. How does he say this? “He has a lot of money, yeah, but he won’t hold that over you. At least not when it comes to me.”

That does seem to help reassure him. Hyoga nods slightly, pensive. At least his eyes aren’t about to pop out of his skull anymore. 

“And if he does, I’ll kick his ass.”

That works to finally drop the last tension from Hyoga’s expression. His eyes squinting shut and he reaches to pull his mask down a little, revealing a smile. Ukyo can hear the puffs of his silent laughter in his breath. He smiles back at him.

“Okay, I forgive you.” He says, leaves his mask around his chin as they start walking again. The butterfly bandages peek out and Ukyo feels weird. He knows Hyoga is okay. That it was just an accident. But there’s something about it that has him more worried that he has any right to be.

“Thanks.” Ukyo bumps their shoulders while they walk, well behind their friends who have already made it to the laser tag arena. 

“I do have one question.”

“Hm?”

“Isn’t Senku struggling with funding? Why doesn’t Ryusui sponsor him?”

“Ah.” He watches Ryusui drop down from Tsukasa’s back as Senku and Gen catch up. He sees them lagging behind and waves. He calls to Ukyo, tells him they’ll be inside. He’s pretty sure that it’s not a normal distance to be shouting at someone but, well. It’s Ukyo. “Because Ryusui isn’t the sponsor himself, it’s  _ Nanami.  _ Tsukasa’s just gotta pose for some ads and wear their logo. For Senku, they wanted all of the rights to anything his lab produced.”

He glances sideways to catch Hyoga’s reaction. His nose wrinkles up in distaste. Ukyo can’t blame him. 

“That’s low, Ryusui couldn’t get that changed?”

“He doesn’t have much say in their marketing department,” Ukyo shrugs. “He can only strongly recommend, but his parents would have never let him get away with giving money like that.”

Hyoga makes a noise of understanding and they drop the topic. It’s relieving for Ukyo honestly. Nothing feels tense. Their hands are still intertwined. Hyoga shows no sign of upset and Ukyo doesn’t think he’s the type to hold back if he’s got a problem.

So they walk the rest of the way in comfortable silence, the butterflies still going strong.

  
  



	14. Bam!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LASER TAG! 
> 
> Thanks to Hal for this idea. <3
> 
> No thanks to the bitches who told me I should put attempted murder in this chapter. Y'all on something else istg. 

They draw straws for teams. They’re suited up in the game vests, instructions already relayed from the workers. And Ukyo can see that Ryusui is about to vibrate through the floor he’s so excited. 

It’s something he forgets a lot. Despite all the partying, Ryusui really did have an absurd amount of responsibility in his family. It wasn’t often he got to act his age with his friends rather than just entertaining a bunch of wealthy clients. 

Ukyo wouldn’t say he felt  _ bad  _ for him. But he can understand the exuberant enthusiasm he has as he announces that they should randomize the teams. 

The results are: Senku, Gen, and Ryusui versus Ukyo, Tsukasa, and Hyoga.

Once they tell the workers, the lights on their vests light up respectively. Red and blue, of course.

“Is it just me, or does anyone else feel deja vu?” Gen asks as the teams stand apart from each other.

“Hm? What do you mean?” Senku asks, picking at his ear.

“Nevermind.”

And with that, they’re directed to separate entrances to the arena. The fluorescents make way for black lights and suddenly Ukyo regrets wearing yellow today. He looks down at how bright he is and hangs his head.

The timer is counting down two minutes for them to get ready.

He feels a touch on his shoulder and looks up to see Hyoga is shedding his red-lit vest to take off his pull-over underneath. His grey t-shirt hitches up a bit revealing a sliver of skin in the dim lighting and distracting Ukyo more than he cares to admit. Then he’s fixing his shirt and holding the hoodie out for Ukyo to take. 

“Quickly,” Tsukasa urges them. He’s become rather serious and Ukyo thinks it’s funny.

He hands Hyoga his vest and swaps for the hoodie, pulls it on and immediately becomes a little overwhelmed when he realizes just how much it  _ smells  _ like Hyoga. It takes a lot for him not to react so he just takes a deep breath as he puts the vest back on. Tries not to think about how large the already oversized pullover is on his body.

“Let’s start moving, they’re already ahead of us,” Hyoga says and they move, navigating through the black lit maze, the red and blue flecks of paint on the wall glowing bright. 

Ukyo can hear the other team nearby and he waves to the other two, motioning for them to be quiet and come close. 

“They’re right on the other side of this wall,” he tells them in a hush. The music is playing just enough that he knows the other team can’t hear. 

“ _ Should we split up?”  _ Gen asks.

_ “That would ten billion percent be the best idea.” _

_ “Shit, guys be quiet--.”  _ He hears Ryusui hiss, then in a lower whisper that Ukyo strains to hear.  _ “It’s Ukyo,he’ll hear us.” _

After that they must use gestures because Ukyo hears nothing. He curses under his breath, waves to Hyoga and Tsukasa that the other team is moving. 

Tsukasa takes the lead, speaks low. “Let’s split up, Ukyo, try to keep a distance from them if you can.”

He nods, and they fall silent, letting Ukyo focus to hear. The timer is at twenty seconds and the announcer’s counting mixes with the music in a way that disorients him, but he can still hear the first few steps the other team takes as they move. 

If it wasn’t so noisy, he’d be able to figure who each footstep belonged to, but as it was, he only had the general direction for the first couple meters before it was drowned out by the high tempo pop song playing. 

“They split up,” he steps too look around the wall, knowing that it’s been abandoned. There’s four different paths they could take from there, Ukyo points to the two that had been the most clear, but the third splits into the fourth just outside of where his range of hearing was. “I’ll take this way.” 

It makes sense to all of them, since he’d be able to track down the third. Ukyo’s skills clearly put them in a more offensive strategy for now. 

Ukyo manages to cover his ears just a second before the buzzer blares. Even with his fingers plugging the noise out, it’s harsh and he flinches. His ears ring, it’s going to be hard to hear for a bit but he supposes that makes it all a bit more fair. 

He catches the last moment of Tsukasa and Hyoga’s strategy discussion to see them cross forearms. They look pumped for this. Almost too much so. Ukyo squints at them, already a little tired.

They practically forget about him when they start moving, their powerful forms moving like they’re stalking prey.

Yeah Ukyo’s tired. It’s fun though.

He holds the fake rifle in his hands, it’s light, the plastic very different from any riffle he’s held from his military training, and yet it’s hard not to fall into the habits of how he would carry. 

He kind of understands why Hyoga and Tsuaksa got so into it as he starts down the split direction.

He hears the sound of the laser gun go off in a valley of shots for a moment and then--

_ “Red team: one point!”  _

He sweats. Did those two really already get a hit in?

The sound of footsteps reaches him and he slows, focuses, tries to find the direction. He turns a corner to follow, hears them. The next corner takes him into a section with rounded walls. He presses close, listens, hears light, careful footsteps. Thinks. Senku wore sneakers, Ryusui wore his runners. Gen had on a softer pair of slip on flats that match these steps. 

Ukyo can’t help the way his lips curl into a smile. He hears Gen coming around the curve cautiously, so he presses himself against the flat end, points, waits.

The second he sees the blue lights on Gen’s vest he aims and pulls the trigger. The sound of the laser setting off his vest sounds loud before Gen can yelp. 

_ “Red team: two points!” _

The twenty second counter lights up in the center of Gen’s vest and he sags. “How can you hear anything over all this?!” He waves his free hand in the air, the gun hanging in the other. Careless.

Ukyo shrugs before he turns around the corner.

And runs straight into Senku who lands an immediate hit. He’s got on one of his shit eating grins.

Ukyo cringes at the loud alarm his vest gives out. His ears ring more. 

“I figured I’d have a few seconds you wouldn’t hear me if you got a hit on Gen,” Senku explains. 

Ruefully, Ukyo nods, sucking on his teeth. “Good call,” he gives him, then runs off. 

Behind him he can hear Gen practically shriek, “Did you use me for bait?!” followed by Senku’s devious confirmation.

He shakes his head and grins. The sound of heavy footsteps comes around the corner,  _ Tsukasa.  _

The man comes around ready to fire, but of course his fighter’s instinct catches on quick and he notices it’s Ukyo.

“Gen and Senku are down that way,” Ukyo tells him, “Gen has five seconds on his vest. They’re distracted.”

Tsukasa nods, face serious, and stalks down the way Ukyo came. He continues on in the opposite direction. 

The sound of two lasers blare consecutively. Ukyo can hear Gen’s frustrated yell from there as he takes a hit the second his vest becomes active again.

_ “Red team: four points!” _

He manages to keep his laugh quiet, hears more footsteps coming. Two sets.

It’s gotta be Ryusui and Hyoga but… he can’t tell who is who. 

Cursing, he presses himself against the wall. One of them disappears. He freezes.

What the hell?

He can hear the other one moving, and then running. He has his gun up and ready, follows the sound as it rounds the corner and--

Makes eye contact with Ryusui who’s aiming right at him. A flirtatious but downright evil smirk on his face.

“What’s up, ba--”

He’s cut off when Hyoga appears and tackles Ryusui to the ground. 

He yelps as he goes down, gun firing but the laser going nowhere as it flies from his grip. He grunts when he hits the ground and Ukyo watches Hyoga protect Ryusui’s head.

They both lie there for a second, Ryusui groaning. “Holy  _ shit man,  _ what the fuck?”

Ukyo just watches as Hyoga sits up, straddling Ryusui’s waist. Ryusui’s head thumps to the ground without Hyoga’s hand holding him up. 

He’s got his mask pulled down and a sly grin on his lips, looking at Ryusui underneath him.

When Ryusui realizes his position he goes from confused to flirtatious quick. 

“Hey.” He raises his eyebrows once, quick. 

“Hey,” Hyoga responds.

Ukyo just stares. Raises his gun. Fires at Ryusui.

The vest blares, they both jump. Turn to look at him. 

_ “Red team: five points!” _

He won’t admit how hot the scene is, even if they look ridiculous in the bulky vests. This is war and Ukyo wants to kick Ryusui’s ass if he was being truthful.

“What’s up, babe?” Ryusui finally finishes. He’s way too comfortable in his current position. Hyoga doesn’t look too bothered either.

Rolling his eyes dramatically, Ukyo just walks away. Leaves them to detangle themselves. His ears are burning.

The five minute timer runs out soon after as Ukyo is stalking Senku through the maze. He gets a hit in right before the countdown hits zero.

_ “Red team: seven points!” _

_ “Round one: red team wins!” _

Senku turns around and looks at Ukyo, points at him. “We’re switching the teams before the next round!” He declares. 

“What? Why?” Ukyo shoulders his gun, knowing damn well what the answer is. 

“Because it’s a military trained soldier with sharp shooter aim and two combat professionals against,” Gen answers, coming around the corner with Tsukasa. They must have been near each other when the round ended. He waves between him and Senku, “Us.”

“Hey!”

They turn at the shout to see Ryusui come around the corner, hands on his hips. “I’m firearm trained, too, you know. I’m not totally useless.”

Right, his self defense training his family put him through. 

“Okay, so,” Tsukasa shrugs off his vest, offers it out. “One of you switch.”

Senku takes the vest and the teams are rearranged just as Hyoga finds them and the thirty second countdown starts before round two. 

They split, Hyoga, Senku, and Ukyo running in one direction as the other three take off in the other. Senku stops short though, and they turn. He waves them down.

“How far are they?” 

Ukyo listens. His ears haven’t stopped ringing in a while. His hearing isn’t as sharp as it would be.

“God it’s loud in here,” he says, “It sounds like they already split up. I can’t tell how far.”

“Dammit, your ears are already in bad shape?”

Ukyo nods, Hyoga blinks at him. His lips turning in a concerned frown. Ukyo shrugs to reassure him. It’s nothing he won’t recover from in a few hours. 

“What about your eyes?” Senku asks.

“Right, they’re fine, but that doesn’t matter in here,” Ukyo says. He forgets that Senku knew about that extra skill he had. Even he forgets that his vision isn’t necessarily normal until people point it out at the range. 

A devious smile curls on Senku’s lips. “Then we just have to do something about that.”

A minute later, the counter is hitting zero and Ukyo’s on Hyoga’s shoulders. It gives him just enough height to see over the walls. 

“Can you see?” Hyoga whispers.

“Mm. It’s not perfect but,” He sees movement and then Tsukasa is walking around the corner in clear sight. He’s got his back pressed against the wall. Cautious. He hasn’t noticed Ukyo yet where he’s ready to snipe. “Wait--.”

Ukyo fires, it hits and Tsukasa’s vest sounds out. He whirls around, looking for who hit him. Ukyo ducks down, hits at Hyoga’s head frantically, “Go, go, go, go!” he whispers feverishly. 

_ “Red team: one point!” _

Hyoga starts moving and Ukyo tenses his legs, tries to center his own gravity not to fall as Hyoga practically jogs away.

“Who was it?”

“Tsukasa.”

“Shit,” Hyoga curses but there’s a smile in his voice. Ukyo pulls the hood up over his head, realizing his hair will be what gives them away with how it glows white in the black lights. 

They put some distance before Ukyo hears footsteps, he signals to Hyoga to stop with a tap to his shoulder. 

They slow. The footsteps are light, it’s Gen. To their left. 

Ukyo signals to Hyoga and they move to the wall, Ukyo straightens, looks for their opponent. He sees the blue lights, the black light reflecting off of the white side of Gen’s hair. 

He raises his gun over the wall, aims, fires. 

_ “Red team: two points!” _

Ukyo ducks back down as Gen yelps, searching for who shot him. Hyoga takes off.

It all goes bad when they round a corner and run into Ryusui. It’s a mess for a second, Ryusui reels, reaches out for something to keep from falling, grabs onto Ukyo’s ankle and  _ pulls. _

It throws off Hyoga’s balance and he tips into Ryusui who’s already going down. Ukyo’s leg throws the direction off and he tumbles. Ukyo goes over both their heads, his training kicks in and he manages to roll only to hit the wall.

Feet in the air against the wall, he’s sprawled out on the ground. He groans. The other two are cursing.

Winded and blinking, he tips his head back to see what shape the other two are in.

They’re on top of each other  _ again.  _ And this time Hyoga’s caught Ryusui’s fall from the weird angle they went down in. Ukyo’s the only one who didn’t lose his grip on the fake rifle, the other two are laying away from them where they spun out. 

Ryusui’s the first one to recover, he pushes himself up on both arms, looks down at Hyoga who looks like he’s still dizzy from the landing. 

“You know, I think I like this better,” he muses. Sits up fully so he’s sitting on top of Hyoga. Ukyo knows him well enough to know this is just as much part of the game as anything else is. He cocks his head to the side, “Yeah this is a good view. What do you think, Ukyo?”

Ukyo grunts.

“Yeah, that’s what you get for trying to  _ snipe us you mother fucker,”  _ Ryusui curses at him. He stands, picks up his gun, aims for them both. Ukyo’s vest blares and he winces just before Hyoga’s goes off, too. 

_ “Blue team: two points!” _

Ryusui helps Hyoga up as his timer is counting down. Then moves on to help Ukyo pick himself up off the wall. He’s disoriented, and the loud counting on his vest doesn’t help. Of course, Ryusui notices. 

“You going to be okay?”

He’s holding Ukyo up at this point, the game forgotten for just a moment. He looks concerned. His brow twisted with worry. 

“Yeah.” Ukyo nods, face in a cringe. “I’ll try and avoid everyone for the rest of the round.”

Their timers go back to zero and the red lights up on their vests again. Neither Ryusui nor Hyoga react. Ukyo can tell they’re pausing the competition for him if the twin looks of worry are anything to go by.

“Okay,” Ryusui says. His hand pats down Ukyo’s hair where the hood fell off and messed it up. “Hide out somewhere if you need to. I’ll let Gen and Tsukasa know to leave you be.”

Ukyo offers him a weak smile against the ringing in his ears and Ryusui places a quick peck to his lips before he’s letting Ukyo stand on his own. 

He jogs off and Hyoga takes his spot in Ukyo’s space, crowding him against the wall. Without a word, he puts his hands over Ukyo’s ears.

It helps.

He closes his eyes and takes deep breaths. Focuses on the feeling of Hyoga’s hands cradling his head, his smell clouding his senses. Tries to ground himself in it so his ears can rest. 

After a moment he feels better. His ears are still ringing but he doesn’t feel like he’s about to pass out like he was a moment ago. He’s going to have a headache later, he knows. 

“I’m okay,” he says, looking up at Hyoga. “Thank you.”

In response, Hyoga uses one hand to tip his chin up so he can kiss him, too. And yeah, Ukyo can get used to all of this attention if he was being totally honest with himself. Understands why Ryusui always struggled with monogamy. The different dynamics really were nice. 

He wonders why he withheld from experimenting with others for so long. 

_ “Blue team: three points!” _

The announcer pulls him back to the here and now, where there’s still two minutes left in a laser tag match. He’s urged to stay there for a bit by Hyoga, and he agrees. But pushes him to keep playing.

It does get better now that no vests are sounding off in his vicinity. At one point Gen rounds a corner and spots him where he’s leaning against a wall. Ryusui must have gotten to him already because he lowers his gun.

“You okay, Ukyo?”

“Yeah,” Ukyo gestures to his ears, “just need a few.”

“Mm, I guess even the greatest advantages have their downfalls, don’t they?” 

Ukyo shrugs. “Something like that.”

They look at the timer on the wall. It’s got just under a minute left. Red team gets another point but it’s clear this is blue team’s round.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” Ukyo thinks he knows what’s coming. 

“How does it work?” Gen asks, and he does a good job hiding the insecurity in his voice, but Ukyo can still catch on. He’s not as confident as he usually is. “The three of you?”

Yep, Ukyo was waiting for that one. “It’s… easy. So far. You just have to be up front.”

“Ah,” Gen sighs. “Of course.”

“When we get out of here, remind me to give you my number,” Ukyo offers. 

_ “Round two: blue team wins!” _

As the count down to their final round starts, Ukyo and Gen decide to trade vests. Figure it keeps things interesting this way. 

Then they split up and Ukyo goes searching for his other team members. Hears Ryusui burst out laughing at something and follows the sound of it. They’re not trying to be quiet just yet.

It looks like Tsukasa and Senku exchanged vests as well, leaving Ukyo, Ryusui, and the scientist on the same team together.

At the sight of the blue vest on Ukyo, Ryusui beams. “Ah, you look good in blue,” he says, pulling him in by the waist.

Ukyo’s starting to think that somewhere between the competition and his run ins with Hyoga, Ryusui’s gotten worked up. He’s more flirtatious than usual, which is saying something, but usually he wouldn’t have his hand on Ukyo’s ass in front of Senku of all people.

“All right, save it for later, you two,” Senku scowls at them. 

“You say that like I didn’t have to see you feel Gen up at the bar that one time.”

Senku blushes,  _ furiously.  _ “I was intoxicated.”

“Sure, sure,” Ryusui winks at him and gives Ukyo’s ass a quick squeeze making him jump. Ukyo whacks him on the arm. 

They split up as the count down nears zero and the round begins. Ukyo’s ears still aren’t up to their normal acuteness, but he can still hear enough to give him a warning around most corners. 

He gets the first point by hitting Hyoga, only to receive the most annoyed glare over the top of his mask. It’s been pulled up this round. 

They split up, Ukyo hears a point go to red team before Gen manages to sneak up on him and land a hit from a distance. Another point for red team. 

He hears a point for blue team over the speakers, thinks they need another at least to tie.

About four minutes into the round, he ends up getting chased by Tsukasa.

It’s one of the single most terrifying moments of Ukyo’s life. 

He bolts in the direction he came, runs erratically so Tsukasa can’t aim.

Cutting the corner at a sharp turn, Ukyo hears the pounding footsteps behind him as he tries to put distance between them. But then he’s running into a wall.

It’s a dead end.

Not even a second later his vest blares. 

_ “Red team: three points!” _

He sighs heavily, sagging against the wall as he turns around to face Tsukasa. Neither of them are out of breath but he’s still breathing faster from the adrenaline. 

“Nice try, Ukyo.” Tsukasa gives him before walking away.

Ukyo gapes in disbelief at his friend. 

The counter on his vest is counting down still, so he decides to take a moment to breath, his ears ringing after the last vest alarm. As he’s waiting to be back in the game, Hyoga passes the opening to the dead end.

He stops when he notices Ukyo. 

The counter is at three seconds.

They both raise their rifles. Ukyo’s eyes are wide, waiting. It’s a shoot of. Whoever fires first when the counter hit zero gets the point.

At one second left, there’s movement out of the corner of their eye. 

Ryusui has his gun in one hand and he points it at Hyoga’s vest. 

Ukyo’s vest hits zero. He’s back in the game.

They all fire at once.

The round ends before the speakers can announce who got the point. 

_ “Round three: red team wins!” _

Ukyo’s still not sure whose laser shot landed first. 

Hyoga lowers his gun and turns to where Ryusui is still holding his rifle one handed. It’s still pointed at Hyoga. He’s got a crooked grin on his face, like he won even though blue team lost.

“Bam!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao don't you love foreshadowing.
> 
> Fun facT: I'm drunk while posting this eheh. Bye. Next chapter the angst picks up.


End file.
